


catch me if you can

by weiwuxian (BreathOfDream)



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Childhood Friends, Coming of Age, Dimension Travel, Fluff and Angst, Han Jisung | Han is Whipped, Han Jisung | Han-centric, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major Character Injury, a lot of alternative universe, its a v minor plot point tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:15:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 33,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22187680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BreathOfDream/pseuds/weiwuxian
Summary: Jisung thought, as everyone they met, that he and Felix would be together forever in every universe. One day, Felix disappears, leaving behind broken hearts and promises.So, Jisung takes a leap of faith.
Relationships: Han Jisung | Han/Lee Felix
Comments: 11
Kudos: 65





	catch me if you can

From as long as Jisung could remember, there was Felix.

It wasn’t a hyperbole, a nice figure of speech to say it felt like he knew Felix for years when he only met him 2 weeks ago. Time was a construct anyway, so it doesn't really matter but it was a debate for another day.

Unanswerable philosophical question aside, Jisung could proudly say that Felix had been here for all his life. Their birth and their first leaps, the first rabbit they adopted together and named Lan to the day they had to bury him, he was there.

All being a coincidence — a funny one but a coincidence — they were born a few hours and rooms apart. But Jisung claimed the title of the oldest and would never allow Felix to forget that.

Their parents would jokes they were meant to be together. Jisung believed it too.

One day, ten-years-old Jisung took the hand to Felix and dragged him on top of their hills. Felix was still grumpy from his interrupted nap, both whining about the fact he had been woken up and that Jisung had let him slept under the sun again, knowing it was giving him freckles.

(Jisung liked his freckles.)

A particularly strong gust of wind made them slightly lose their balances as they were standing up in the highest rock on the hills — they could access to it now without the help of anyone. Felix tucked a strand of hair behind his ears, clearly distracted by the mix of a butterfly and ladybird who landed on his finger. Jisung took a deep breath.

“Promise me.”

“Promise what?”

“Just promise me and I’ll give you something.” Now, Felix’s attention got completely caught and the weird bug flew away, leaving behind a golden powder on Felix’s finger and nose. 

Felix was always the most excited about gifts. Breaking from his sulky demeanor, Felix tried to take a look at what he was holding behind him but Jisung held it so tight in his little hands, it made his skin paint with red and white.

“Fine, I promise, now give me,” finally gave up Felix, stretching out his hand to Jisung. 

Jisung beamed and the world seems to fade around him in a blur of green and blue as he lent a small key into the hand of his friend. It was a tiny thing, made of something metallic, with intricate patterns graved on the shaft and a blue sapphire lodged in the key bow.

Giddy, Jisung observed the succession of emotion on Felix’s face until it settled for a deep confusion. “A key?” Jisung nodded frenetically. “You forgot to lend me what it open, though…”

“No, that’s the thing!” Felix looked even more puzzled, and even about to be upset to be played with, especially by his best friend. Jisung hastened to add: “It’s not a joke, it’s… It’s a promise, ok? I’ll tell you later.”

“When is later?”

Jisung pretended to think for a few seconds then leaned toward Felix with a smirk. “When we turn 20, the day of your birthday, sounds good?”

Playing with the key in his hands, tracing the engraved motif, Felix considered it, eyes lost in the sky with clouds which looked like animals. Finally, after what felt like thousands of leaps, Felix nodded shyly for the delight of Jisung who launched himself at him. That made them almost fall once again, only saved by Felix's balance but Jisung didn’t care.

It was a promise.

Holding him so tight Felix had to actually pat his arm to let him breathe, Jisung had now the sensation he could do anything. The grip of Felix's hands on the back of his shirt loosened up as they gently rubbed their noses together. 

Even from his ten-years-old tiny self, he knew he had done something great, something big.

“Let’s go?”

They smiled at each other. Then, they leaped into the void.

The key had gone through the years with them. Jisung had seen it go from a necklace pendant to an earring, to a bracelet but no matter what era, clothes, hair color or weather, Felix kept it and becoming the most reassuring and grounding thing on Jisung's life—

Felix burst out of laughing, under the eyes of an offended Jisung. “Oh Keeper, that’s so cheesy. I swear you read too many sappy romance, I knew I should have stopped you when you showed me this book with a sweaty back in the cover and called it sexy.”

“Its artistic, uncultured idiot. ”

“Sure, sure,” Felix laughed at Jisung’s pout and ruffled his hair playfully. 

It’s not as Jisung wasn’t used to this type of reaction when he tried to convey his feelings for Felix into words. Even if frustrating, Jisung could never be offended. Coming from a place mostly out of shyness, nothing about the laugh could be interpreted as malicious. Plus, Felix was right. It was cheesy.

But Jisung liked cheesy and liked Felix, so did it really mattered?

Both suns were gone in the sky but their watches indicated it was still Jisung’s birthday. Midnight was close and Felix had insisted on not spending the night at his house; something about needing to prepare himself before seeing Jisung as twenty years old. Not insisting, Jisung’s only request was to take him home.

Felix had put dangly earrings with the suns on it which kind of blinded Jisung each time Felix moved his head. On another hand, the fluffy pastel sweater became his favorite thing as it gave an excuse for Jisung to constantly hug Felix. Not that he particularly needed one the rest of the time.

“Ah, I can’t wait,” said suddenly Felix, twirling around to face Jisung and walked backward, the blue moon illuminating from the back. 

Goddess of the moon herself and the twelve planets couldn’t rival with Felix’s radiance, thought Jisung, entranced by the thread of light running through the hair of Felix and his sweater.

Jisung slowed down, the mansion of his friend coming to fast for his liking. “Wait for what?”

“For the next time we’ll be seeing each other!” 

Pretending the burn in his stomach was only due to the number of sweet cakes he just ate, Jisung tried to find another answer in the impenetrable smile of his friend, giving up after a few steps. Eventually, he would know.

Back walking was never Felix’s forte so it was no surprise he stumbled on a slippery rock, almost falling on the paved road. Reactive and trained by dealing with years of both of their clumsiness, Jisung grabbed Felix by the waist before he could hit the ground.

The sheepish smile Jisung was given in return made his heart beat harder, feeling the warmth making his way on his stomach and face. One of the only sources of light was from Felix’s earrings, bright enough for him to discern the soft expression on his face.

“Be careful Pixie, what if I’m not here to catch you,” the fake-crying tone of Jisung flattered as something bitter flashed over Felix’s features but disappeared in a blink of eyes for his usual kindness.

The rest of the journey was spent in comfortable silence, hands interlaced between them and the moon being joined by two other planets above them. After the hectic day of the birthday they had, Jisung was more than happy to be in the simple presence of Felix, currently drawing little patterns on the back of his hand with his thumb.

It was nice.

Jisung found himself pouting as they stopped in front of Felix’s fence and squeezed his hand a bit more when Felix tried to move toward his entree. The thought of letting him go right now was harder than usual. Knowing he sounded clingy and they would literally saw each other in less than 6 hours, Jisung did not say a word but couldn’t help his body’s reaction.

Felix rolled his eyes, still indulging him and gave him a little side hug that became a full one once Jisung understood his intention. The fluff of Felix’s sweater was tickling his nose but Jisung resisted the need to sneeze by burying his face on Felix’s hair.

At last, Felix patted his head to make him let go.

He seemed to hesitate a bit but Jisung little nudge was enough to make him break, “I think it’s cute you think of us like that.”

“Like what?”

Felix giggled and kissed softly Jisung’s cheek before jogging to his door. Dazed, Jisung touched his cheek while watching the small frame of Felix hesitating before opening his door and turn around for a last look. “Goodnight, Sungie.”

“See you tomorrow?” Jisung didn’t know why he felt so nervous suddenly. They saw each other every day. Tomorrow was not going to be the exception. Both of them knew why, if the strange atmosphere floating between them for the whole day was anything to goes by.

Tomorrow was the day.

A smile his only answer, the big mahogany door made a sound coming from hell while shutting down behind Felix.

The hand of the clock ticked at the same time as Felix disappeared. Already tomorrow. The burn inside Jisung's chest didn't stop until he passed out on his bed.

The next morning, Jisung woke up more excited than ever. It was the day. The most awaited and important day of his life. Only one of the two suns outside was up, Hong, illuminating with its red light Jisung’s room. Usually, Jisung wouldn’t even be up for the rising of the second sun but this day was bound to be special.

Not even his mom laughing at him when he staggered into the kitchen could discourage him from being in a superb mood.

"Mama's not up yet?" asked Jisung, looking around the empty kitchen.

"You know her… but I think I speak for both of us when I say: good luck and hurry up, darling."

Kiss on both of his mom's cheeks and hot toast in hand, Jisung left his house as quickly as he could.

Outside, the streets were mostly empty. Some houses had a sign on their door, indicating the owner was currently Travelling. Minho’s one had one for several months. Jisung missed him.

Their community too small for anyone to come and try to steal, nobody cared about the safety of their abandoned home. They indicated if they were here or not out of pure politeness for any unexpected guest.

Jisung and Felix never talked, per se, about moving on together. The idea had always stayed in the back of Jisung’s mind or during their late-night chats, while at least one of them got too drunk to filter their thoughts. Jisung smiled softly. The blue house leaning against the hill always looked too beautiful to be so empty anyways.

The second sun had made his way to meet the first by the time Jisung reached the old mansion where Felix was living with his family. Ignoring the eerie lack of noise, Jisung took a deep breath, walked up the stoop and knocked.

The world froze when the teary face of Felix’s mother appeared in the crack of the door.

_“Where is he?”_

☉⧗☉

The rain pouring so hard on the sleepless city, not a soul had dare put a foot outside. Tales and shadows had taken care of making sure no one would go out on those nights.

However, the characteristic sound of heels against the pavement was echoing in an alley a hooded silhouette was running in. His leather boot stepped into a puddle and sent drops of water onto his long coat. Although, it didn’t stop him. Nothing could.

Finally, he reached his destination, a narrow door, invisible to an inexpert eye. Jisung looked around him, wary, but the streets were still deserted and only the sound of a catfight and airplane taking off confirmed him he could proceed.

Reaching for the door, short but not as short as him, which was nice, Jisung hit cautiously a rhythm on the dark wood. Or was it wood? He was never the best at determining materials. Too many of them and too different at each place. A voice coming from behind the door made him jump.

“Password?”

“Pass— There was no password last time!”

“Well, now there’s one and either you know it or you leave.”

The tone was too final for Jisung’s taste. The long silence following made sure to confirm that his interlocutor was already gone. Water had made its way into his leather boots and the cape he was wearing was so soaked it was useless. Jisung’s nails dug into his palm, the fragile skin breaking up under his frustration. 

He knocked once again, a fine stream of blood on his wrist. “Listen, man, it’s raining and I don’t have anything to cover me with, the ferryman was mean, I’m tired and I just lost my best friend. For the sake of the Keeper’s two suns, let me in.”

This time, the silence dragged for only a few seconds before the sound of the door’s handle being open could be heard despite the rain, the pouring doubling down on Jisung’s already soaked back. Before he could realize what was happening, a hand pulled Jisung inside and fiercely shut the door behind him.

Not even having the time to take a proper look at the other, they pushed Jisung into an adjacent room and threw clothes at his face. Admittedly, it was nice to change from the soggy pack of fabric that had become his clothes. Rude but almost weirdly thoughtful.

The shirt — reminding him of his village traditional apparel — was too large for Jisung’s small frame, but he couldn’t tell if it was an eccentric tailor’s creation or a serious sign for him to work out more. The puffed sleeves tighten at his wrist were the best part of the shirt (and his whole day overall), and Jisung wondered for a moment how many things he could hide in it.

This question shall remain unanswered because someone knocked at the door as Jisung was inspecting whether the transparent floating thing on the table was too fragile to be held.

Smiling, as one’s smile when they were about to get red-handed, Jisung opened the door to come face to face to the blankest expression he ever saw in a human-looking visage.

It was a nice face, don’t get him wrong, it just felt like the dark eyes of the man could curse him in a blink. “Do you want to get dinner?” the man asked, triggering an enthusiastic nod from Jisung; they were, in fact, no such thing he desired most in this instant than some food. Getting Felix back would also be nice.

The man raised an eyebrow at his antics but choose not to comment and silently bring him into what looked like the kitchen. The number of plants was probably not the smartest choice for a place where things could be set on fire really quickly. Not apparently worried about the fire hazard serving him as a kitchen, he waved vaguely toward a chair in front of the only table in the room, which surprisingly only had one pot with vine crawling on the wood.

Jisung observed him move across the kitchen, a well-oiled dance consisting of pans and avoiding bright red or green leaves. A plate with two fried eggs and a piece of bacon got put in front of him. It looked like bacon at least. Felix had once bitten into a bread-looking thing that turned out to be a local cement. It had been a fun day.

This time, Jisung didn’t have to spend the rest of the day cloistered in his room out of shame and stomachache, as the eggs were perfectly normal and even good.

“So…” said Jisung, glancing at the other. He had also started to eat and pet a black cat who had come in the meantime. “A nervous meltdown is the password?”

The stunned look conveyed largely the latent ‘please shut the fuck up’. Taking pity of Jisung and his poor response to stressful situations, the boy responded quietly. “You mentioned Keeper’s two suns, so I deducted you were a lost and idiotic Voyager.”

“Ah, yes, that’s a pretty accurate description of me. Name’s Jisung by the way,” The last part was said through a mouth full of food and the man scrunched his nose in disgust.

“Call me Changbin, and the little menace that’s eyeing my eggs is Hae and they’re not allowed to eat that— Give it back—”

Jisung beamed, watching Changbin fight to remove the egg the cat had successfully stole. Meeting Remainers — or non-Voyagers — that know about their condition was always nice and new for them. Ferrymen didn’t bother to even glance at them most of the time. 

A chance Jisung knew about this place before leaving home, or he would have spent his first night here under the rain. Maybe he should have checked out beforehand if there had been any changes, but Jisung wasn’t known for his fantastic organization skills. Most of the time, it was Felix’s task.

But Jisung wasn’t only there to escape the rain and subconsciously link everything back to his missing companion. No, he was a man on a mission. And the key to success should be in this house. “Yoongi’s not here?”

“No? He hasn’t been around for a while. I’m the one in charge now.” 

“Oh…” 

As always, Jisung had screamed victory too soon. Of course, nothing would go according to his plan. The eggs didn’t taste as great as they previously did suddenly.

Sounds of purring caught Jisung’s attention and he watched the small kitten stretching on the table, knocking some plant over; which Changbin caught before they could spill all over their plates. He must have been used to it. Changbin must have been there for a long time. Which meant that he could surely help Jisung. Yoongi wouldn’t have chosen a complete knucklehead as his successor and Changbin have given Jisung clothes and food. 

Going for it, Jisung leaned over the table. “Do you, perhaps, have some knowledge about watches? Like, Voyager’s watches?”

“Actually, I do,” the awe on Jisung’s face made Changbin wave awkwardly, “not much and more on the mechanical side than anything else but—”

That was enough for Jisung who squealed happily and reached for his pocket. He slammed the gold watch on the table with such vigor the kitten ran away, scared by the loud noise. Star in his eyes, Jisung looked desperately at Changbin. “Can you please trace back the owner of this watch?”

The watch was an intricate object. Being a Voyager (or dimension Voyager, Jisung was still lost about the technical term of his condition), implicated a great number of disgruntling things. One of them is the knowledge time is inexplicable. Visiting multiple dimensions, each with a different notion of how to measure this weird unity, had lost more than one Voyager. Even if a Voyager’s mind had predispositions to dimension and time traveling, the exactitude of when and where they arrived was… inconsistent to say the least.

For this reason, uncountable lunar years ago, those of Jisung’s village had to find a way to still have a notion of time universal to them. And so, was created this time watch. Not the particular version Jisung had right now, but close enough.

Not only it permitted having a time Voyager could all rely on without question and allowed them so enter some specific time and location to travel; but also showed the time and year of the dimension they were in. 

The time passing on their watch was the only that mattered for them and regardless of where they could be, their body would also only react to the one spend on their original dimension. The administrative and existential implications of this creation gave Jisung a headache, and he took Felix’s notes after that class.

What he could say about their watch its, it was now also like a passport, specific to each Voyager and with a little research, you could even pinpoint a Voyager’s location with his watch. A Voyager without his watch might have been marked as lost or nonexistent. The watch found on Felix’s carefully made bed had been burning Jisung’s thigh in his pocket since he left.

Changbin looked back and forth from Jisung to the watch and mouthed a ‘can I?’ before taking the small object carefully. “It’s a nice timepiece,” he ended up saying.

“Thank you?”

Changbin looked at him weirdly. “It’s not yours, why are you thanking me?” Ouch. Not wrong, but it definitely hurt more than intended. The only thing Felix seems to have taken before leaving was the key Jisung gave him. At first, Jisung thought it was a sign Felix didn’t leave voluntarily but the look of pity he received when proposing his theory crushed it soon.

The watch was his last hope. Some of the first watches were conceptualized here, and he really hoped Yoongi, now Changbin, could pick up something, anything, and bring him back to Felix. You can’t spend so much time with an object so cryptically magical and not leaving some part of you on it.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t know if I can,” said Changbin, putting the watch down on the table. At Jisung’s defeated expression, he added in a sigh. “But I’ll try if you’re willing to wait?”

“Believe me,” said Jisung bitterly. Outside, the rain started pouring again. “I have all the time in the world.”

⧗

Changbin, against all expectations (mostly Jisung’s ones), let him stay in his home for the time being. 

It was not big, plants and books taking most of the available space, but it had a spare room not being used by anyone. Said room was completely glutted, objects in all sizes and shape lying on the floor and walls. Oracle balls, mobile with unknown planet systems, a metronome with an eye that seemed to follow Jisung, dolls dressed with a hanbok and a lot more dangling off the walls and ceiling.

Going by the diversity of items, this place obviously had received more Voyagers than Jisung ever saw in his life. But by the smell alone, he could tell it wasn’t being used a lot.

Hopefully, he won’t stay long enough to make it bearable or to get accustomed to it. And so, Jisung refused to move anything. By not acting like he was going to stay for a long time, the universe and superior forces might make the process faster — or that’s what he told himself.

Not that the house and town weren’t nice but Jisung didn’t pay it too many thoughts. The first three days of his stay were spent in Changbin’s library, with its bookshelves reaching the high ceiling and replication of the sky under his feet. However, he got so bored after 3 days of looking through books describing the mechanism of clocks, Jisung decided to try to see how many books could pile up before it fell. 58. Changbin was not happy about the whole situation.

Changbin was not happy about a lot of situation Jisung’s find himself in, to be honest.

Soon, the library was not the only forbidden place in the house for him. Jisung had always been the troublemaker out of all his friends but his restless energy was more often than not calmed down by the mere presence of Felix. Now, it was overflowing and Jisung sincerely didn’t know what to do with it.

Changbin's atelier was the new go-to of Jisung for a while after the library incident, to the great despair of its owner. On the table usually lie the watch and mechanic pieces, cogs and wrenches cohabitating amongst the succulents and books. Shelves were covering the walls, full of grimoire (how many books does one’s need, really) and bottles, some of them containing blueish liquid with all sorts of being, size, and shape. Something told Jisung he would lose more than his access to the atelier if he touched them.

Spending hours on the big velvet armchair on the corner, Jisung could see Changbin working, expertly throwing leaves in his miniature cauldron, fixing the wood soldier of their little neighbor, or simply petting Hae as they rested on his shoulder. Some days, the best days, Changbin would even look at Jisung a bit longer, sigh, and then gesturing him to come closer. Jisung never had much interest in mechanic, but the soft smile of Changbin as he explained to him how to make the toy walk dissuaded him from saying anything.

Those moments were the only things keeping Jisung out from his room or doing something stupid. Like roaming the streets screaming Felix’s name.

(Changbin had to pick him up in front of a flower shop, kept by a girl with sharp eyes and a tight grip. None of them had a great time that night.)

Along the way, the plants and annoying cat, Jisung had stopped check on the progress of the watch. Out of pure fear or cowardice, Jisung couldn’t tell as he avoided thinking about it. 

Days were too long and too empty.

This day in particular, as Changbin has forbidden Jisung to step into his atelier — for reasons he did not catch but his mood was bad enough even with some he would have still be vexed.

Bored, Jisung was in the library — a place he was still technically also banned of but whatever — looking for books about palace and plum. Roaming through the shelves and taking some heavy books out, Jisung didn’t pay too much attention to his surroundings and almost fell off the ladder when Hae purred right next to his ear.

“You little fucker—” If a cat could smile, Hae would have the smuggest smirk as they watched Jisung scramble off the ladder in a desperate attempt to not break his neck.

Some books followed his plunge and Jisung contemplated, resigned, the mess he made on the immaculate floor. For once, he didn’t even try and yet. Hae, unbothered, rubbed their head against Jisung’s hands as he picked up everything.

The cover of that book was nothing special at first view. The only thing that made Jisung pause was the bookmark poking out, a small red sun drawn on the showing part. Jisung frowned.

Here, the sun was not red. 

He was about to open at the bookmark page but Hae bit his hand so hard two dots of blood formed. Sharp pain making him hiss, Jisung dropped the book as Hae rushed out of the room. Whatever. The book was now open and Jisung blanched as he took a good look into it. 

_What the hell._

When Changbin entered the library, he looked displeased, Hae on his shoulder and purple stain on his face.

“Jisung why are you in the library? I thought I made it clear I didn’t want another tower incident it was a pain in the ass to clean and—” At this point, Jisung had not moved and was still sitting on the lavish floor, book scattered around him. Changbin stopped. “What are you doing?”

Jisung looked up to him, jaw tensed and a book with a golden hourglass drawn on it in hand. Changbin had no visible reaction to the sight of what he was holding but Hae growled on his shoulder. “Why do you have the Voyager code?” asked Jisung through gritted teeth.

“Listen, I—”

“No Remainers is allowed to have it, I’m going to have to report you what the—” heated, Jisung waved the book around as if it was a weapon. In some sort of way, it was.

Changbin sighed, scratching his head and making Hae hop off. “Jisung, I’m a witch.”

It shouldn’t have come to that much of a shock for Jisung but he still gasped slightly — he had met several witches during his Travels, beneficent or evil, but they all had the decency to at least tell him. Or rather be very obnoxious about it in most cases. Owning such a precious book from a population as hidden as the Voyagers was not that surprising. Plus, it explained the weird bottles and an excessive number of things that did not miraculously set on fire. 

Now, Jisung was even more vexed than before. Was he so bothersome for Changbin he didn’t felt the need to tell him about this whole part of his being? It felt stupid to be so upset over that but he had lived with Changbin for a few weeks now and thought they were starting to bond pretty well. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know, ok? You never asked and were obnoxious most of the time; so whatever, stop,” Changbin seemed to regret his words as soon as he said it but it was too late.

“Fine,” huffed Jisung, crossing his arms against his chest. “I don’t care about your stupid book and cat and magic, I’m going to my room.”

“Jisung—”

The door was slammed in Changbin’s face, and Jisung stood alone in his room, surrounded by objects that were not his, in a room that did not belong to him and in a dimension he barely knew. A feeling of deep solitude overwhelmed him for a moment and he buried his face into a pillow. “Whatever.”

It came as a surprise that after 2 weeks (6 days on his watch), Changbin knocked at his door. Jisung hadn’t gone out except for dinner for those past weeks but Changbin hadn’t made a move to tell him it bothered him. The meals were spent in silence, with only some vain attempts by Changbin to make the conversation.

Actually, it might have been the first time he had entered his room ever since Jisung arrived. It felt awkward to see Changbin in the middle of his room. He looked like he belonged to the mass of objects, something as rare as it could be dangerous.

Huffing, Jisung brought his blanket over his head. He had gone out of his room today. There was no need to bother him anymore.

“Jisung, I found something in the watch and I think you would like to see it," said Changbin, sitting on the bed next to Jisung's curled up form.

It took a few beats before the blankets were on the floor and Jisung on Changbin's face.

"Did you find anything?"

Changbin had the same expression as when Jisung confronted him about the Voyagers code and it dawned on him he wasn't particularly going to like what was going to happen next. "Um… Technically yes but I don't think it's what you came here for."

"Show me, I don't care."

"I don't know what happened, a trap opened when I cast a spell on it and…. Yeah, I don't know I thought you would like to know."

Without further ado and feeling Jisung's eagerness, Changbin handed the watch with a folded glazed paper on it.

Shaking a little, Jisung opened the paper.

Photography. Four photography more exactly, printed back to back on the same glossy paper and with a curtain as a background. Felix was sticking his tongue out in the first one and next to him, Jisung was making a grimace. In the second, his own surprised expression faced Jisung as he was being kissed on the cheek by Felix. The third one had caught them in action, Felix looking innocently away from Jisung and the camera, a small smile on his face. 

The fourth photography showed them laughing, forehead against forehead, a light blush on both of their cheeks, the familiar light of their suns in the background.

Changbin cleared his throat as the silence drew out and Jisung was still staring at the photo in his hands. “I’m… going to leave you alone for now—” he made a movement in direction of the door as to prove his point— “I’m in the kitchen or the backyard with Hae if you need anything.”

And, like that, Jisung was left alone, once again, with this piece of paper that reminded him what he didn’t have anymore.

At this precise moment, Jisung hated everything. He hated being a Voyager. He hated Felix. He hated the loneliness. He hated that stupid room and those stupid objects and— Jisung couldn’t _breathe_.

There was a monster in his stomach and it wanted to destroy the world.

Everything in the room seemed to have been put there to make him suffocate, the previously reassuring mass becoming hostile in his dizzy mind. Grabbing the nearest object, a violet ball, Jisung headed toward outside, like an automaton. The backyard of the house was an unexpectedly decent size, had grass too green and a pound containing too many nice carp koi.

Anger wasn’t an emotion Jisung experimented often. But somehow, without him noticing, it had build up. Inside his chest, his mind and his attitude, Jisung was angry against everyone and particularly himself.

Changbin was in the backyard, in the long chair he always sat in when he was anxious. Jisung hated he knew this fact. Seeing him arrive, a dark aura surrounding him, Changbin raised an eyebrow at the sphere in his hands. “What are you doing?”

“Spring cleaning.”

From the corner of his eyes, Jisung saw Changbin exchange a confused look with his cat. Dumbfoundedness morphed quickly into horror when Jisung threw the oracle ball which exploded while hitting the ground, spilling the blue liquid it was filled in. Jisung didn’t care. Why should he? Everything was meaningless, merely ephemeral. 

Feeling even angrier than before, Jisung ran back inside, followed closely by Changbin who wasn’t enough to stop him from grabbing the dangly sun pendant. It reminded Jisung of Felix and his earrings. Therefore, he hated it. He ripped it from the ceiling, along with 3 other strings.

Clouded by his destructive madness, everything in the room had become unbearable for Jisung. Taking everything he could in his arms, he dodged Changbin and rushed outside to throw it. When he came back to the room, for the third time, Changbin was standing in the middle of it, the photographies in one hand and five envelops in the other.

“Jisung—” Changbin started like he was talking to a scared animal. “Is that?”

Jisung laughed bitterly. “I saw you found them! All that he left me! My treasure! Fucking letters, with barely anything on it!”

Next to the watch, on Felix’s neat bed, five letters had been put, a big number wrote on them. What Jisung had first thought was a joke turned out to be too real after he understood Felix’s mom’s tears were not faked.

The first one had led him here. _Where it had all begun_. As soon as he arrived, Jisung had hidden them under his pillow, after convincing himself Changbin would find a solution soon enough. How naive can one be, really?

After a few more heated journey and screams under the resigned eyes of Changbin, the room was already looking more clear.

Panting, Jisung let his arms drop on both of his sides, empty and sore. The backyard was looking more like a landfill site than anything else but now Jisung could see the color of the room’s wall.

“Feel better?”

Jisung looked at the sky. Cloudless and blue, it was taunting him, a complete dichotomy from what happened under it. The breath Jisung took in burned his sinus and felt like the first one he really had in a while.

“Yes, I think I do.”

⧗

_Falling in love with Felix was the easiest thing in the world._

_For Jisung, it did not feel like falling but more waking up and realizing he was and had been drowning for a long time._

_Wheel of Fortune day came fast this year. Colorful robes and heavy golden earrings were taken out of the home’s trunk while the village started to wear tinsel on its trees and facade. Even the forest adorned a slight shade of burgundy, brightening the whole valley._

_Currently throwing hazelnut in the air and catching it with his mouth, Minho lays on Jisung’s couch, the allegory of idleness and complete opposite of Jisung. The flight of a nut is interrupted by a thrown underwear and Minho makes a displeased noise as it lends on his face. Taking the (hopefully clean) underwear between two fingers, Minho shifts position to have a word with Jisung, half-naked in front of his closet and with hair messier than when he had begun._

_“Great Keeper, can you calm down?”_

_“No, I can’t? Neither my skirt nor tunic is in my closet and my moms are going to kill me?”_

_Minho grumbles something about seeing this scene every year and got up to help Jisung dive into his closet to find the missing pieces of his outfit. It only takes 2 minutes for Minho to find everything, as they turn out to be exactly where they were supposed to be._

_Under Minho’s booing, Jisung dresses up quickly, putting his cream tunic on, to then adjusting the blue and gold bracelet at his wrists roughly. Helped by Minho who had gone bored after watching him struggle for 5 minutes straight, the skirt was the same blue as the bracelet, with gold hourglasses motifs on it, tied by a scarf on his thin waist._

_Wearing so many layers is honestly one of the worst parts of the Wheel of Fortune day, every move being hampers by fabric. Jewelry clinking at each of his moves, Jisung participated more than he wanted in the buzz and melody of the day. Red beads encircle both of his ankles along with arm bracelets, tightening the large fabric of the sleeves on his biceps, his earrings at the image of the suns weight more than average but is an essential part of the ceremony._

_Even if everything put together looked somewhat sloppy, Jisung is dressed and ready to go, rolling his eyes at Minho shaking his watch as to indicate they need to go in the following five minutes. But something was not right, something missed and he couldn’t remember what—_

_“A gift! I forgot the gifts for Felix.”_

_“You forgot_ what _?”_

_Jisung rushed upstairs before Minho could yell at him. Fortunately, the small arrangement of flowers has been carefully put in his dresser. It’s not much but Jisung had taken care of choosing Felix’s favorite colors and species to compose it._

_Jisung hesitates a moment before taking the second object. A red scarf, clearly handmade by Jisung himself, with loose strings all over the place and unconventionally long. Trying not to think too hard about it, Jisung grabs it and shoves it in his saddlebag. He did not spend a lot of his evening knitting and pricking his unskilled fingers for him to chicken out at the last minute._

_Minho raises his eyebrow as Jisung tumbles down the stairs with his bag and gifts badly hidden in it._

_“This is purely platonic, stop,” cut Jisung before he could say anything._

_“It sure is. Why would I think giving the traditional courting gift to someone is even remotely romantic?”_

_Jisung squints his eyes at him. He was only offering flowers to Felix because he was his best friend and had thought it was a good idea. Nothing to do about Wheel of Fortune day being a favorable moment for blossoming love. It was all pure bullshit anyway. “I know you’re being sarcastic so fuck you.”_

_“I wish, but unfortunately I’m stuck with you and your oblivious pining ass,” Fondly, Minho fixed the messy hair and tunic of Jisung’s, smoothing the folds. “Now, go get him little one.”_

_The whole scene would have been sweet if Minho did not end it by slapping Jisung’s ass and throw him outside his own house._

_Everyone was already at the event on the main square, so it was not a surprise the road was empty when Jisung arrived in front of Felix’s patio, the only person there inside the small garden._

_“Pixie?”_

_Felix turned around, making his skirt twirl around him. It was the color of Hong, a red as deep as the beads on Jisung’s ankles. Instead of hourglasses, the Keeper’s scythe spreads out in longs golden strokes on the scarlet of the skirt and scarf. The billow sleeves of his tunic were cut open, leaving his freckled shoulders and arms for everyone to see, only held at the elbow and wrist. Jisung had judged the season too chilly to wear this shirt version but Felix is pretty much insensible to cold._

_Jisung’s heart sank when he notices the arms full of gifts of Felix. Extravagant flowers, one more beautiful and bigger than the others, some shiny pieces of jewelry and things Jisung could not even identify._

_Jisung didn’t like that._

_All the flowers and jewelry, things coming from other people hoping to get into Felix’s good book and bed, he didn’t like it. Something didn’t feel right, they didn’t know Felix enough, only liked the idea of him. Sunny and charming, brave but not reckless, kind without letting himself being pushed around. They didn’t know Felix when he was upset, stubborn, angry, nagging, would not let anyone approach him, be unintentionally mean and then apologize later with cookies and cuddles._

_But Jisung knows. He knows and he loves everything about Felix._

_Jisung is in love with Felix and the first thought he has is Keeper’s ass, Minho was right._

_The whole thing was a bad idea and Jisung is an idiot for thinking that anything was platonic in his approach and even more to thinks his pathetic bouquet had any worth at all._

_Before Jisung could go back and pretends none of this ever happens in the first place, Felix is beaming at him, brighter than the two suns combined. “Jisung!”_

_“Hey…”_

_“Ooh, you look nice,” exclaimed Felix like Jisung was not having an epiphany about the fact he had been in love with his best friend for probably all his life, two seconds prior._

_“I’m wearing the exact same thing as last year, but you’re not too bad yourself.”_

_“Thanks! My skirt has pockets and it twirls nicely so I’m happy,” As to prove his point, Felix twirled to make his skirt flow around him and Jisung hold back a whine._

_“I bet you are,” he finally muttered after Felix had finished spinning, looking as radiant as ever, cheeks slightly flushed._

_“Anyways, what did you want?” Jisung has not found a valid excuse to escape and go hide and cry on Minho’s shoulder all night, but a flower falls from Felix’s arms, saving him time. Felix sighs, “Oh no wait, I need to put all of this inside and after we can talk or even go to the spinning event!”_

_“Well, I need to go see my mama actually, so nevermind,” Jisung straightens himself up, putting his bag behind his back and out of Felix’s view._

_“Really… You know you can tell or give me anything, right?”_

_Did he know about the flowers in his bag? Jisung laughed nervously, taking a small step back. No, it was impossible, he had made sure nothing would reach Felix’s ears. “No? You have enough as it is I think,” Jisung laugh bitterly, not noticing Felix’s face crumble._

_Either the gifts are too heavy or he feels weak all of the sudden, but Felix flinched and a case fell off the top of the pile inside his arms, and as he tried to catch it, everything followed and hit the ground in a loud crash. Without a second thought, Jisung hops over the fence and rush to Felix, already trying to pick up everything from the ground, his mouth twisted into a tight line._

_Swiftly, Jisung grabs a blue sweater on the ground. Soft and pastel blue, it was ridiculous how fitting the sweater was with Felix’s taste. The knitting work is neater than anything Jisung could ever achieve, even if it was obviously handmade. So, not only his flowers were pathetic but also his scarf. Great._

_Feeling a bit sick, Jisung stares at the sweater someone else had made for his person and had clearly put their heart in it. He looks up and met Felix’s eyes, an unreadable emotion in them._

_“This is a nice sweater, I can tell the person who made it really cared,” the words physically hurt Jisung to say, but it would be unfair to snap at Felix. It did not stop his laugh from being a bit more bitter than he would’ve liked. “I’m happy for you, Pixie.”_

_“Ah, Sungie you’re too nice,” said Felix, giggling but something felt off, the smile not reaching his eyes. It was only when Felix had reached his door that Jisung realizes he still hasn’t given him the sweater back._

_“Wait you’re forgetting it!”_

_Felix shakes his head, already opening the half-open door with his elbow. “Take this, it’s for you.” At the flabbergasted reaction of Jisung, who looks back and forth between the sweater and Felix, he shrugged. “I made it so it’s not that great but… yeah, anyways say hello to your mama for me, ok?”_

_And just like that, he was gone._

_It did not feel right, deep in his stomach, Jisung knows it. Getting the scarf and bouquet off his bag, he could see they were a bit crumbled, the petals not as shiny as when he put them in._

_The image of the unreadable eyes of Felix made him take the first step._

_Jisung knocked frantically at the door, and push the bouquet and scarf on Felix’s face as soon as he appears. “Take it! It’s for you!”_

_“I thought you didn’t have anything for me?” said Felix, badly trying to keep his composure as he takes carefully what Jisung is handing him._

_A smile broke in Felix’s face and, unaware of Jisung scrutinizing his every expression, he put the scarf under his neck and smell the flower as if the petals aren’t completely crumbled. Everything looked kind of out of place, the flowers barely alive anymore, the red of the scarf clashing horribly with one of his skirts and, looking closely, Felix’s eyes were a bit redder than when he left him. Jisung thinks he’s perfect._

_“I’m sorry it’s not as good as what you made or anything you received today but—”_

_“That’s the best gift I had today, shut up,” said Felix, hugging the scarf and flowers close to his chest as if he’s afraid Jisung would take them back._

_Jisung was in love and somehow, it felt like he had always been._

⧗

Weeks passed by.

Changbin revealed himself to be a more than decent roommate (“we’re not roommates if you don’t pay anything, stupid”) when Jisung was not acting like an entitled prick and they actually had a conversation — which ended by teary-eyes from Jisung and a big hug from Changbin. Another big change was, his room started to look a bit more like him.

Jisung was not sure he liked it. Of course, it was better than drowning in self-pity all day long or having a nervous meltdown but it felt wrong. Changbin tried to keep him busy and even saved a strange game of darts from Jisung’s ‘purge’. It wasn’t much and Jisung was pretty sure the game was rigged to make Changbin win or he was somehow using magic but it was fun. Didn’t mean he didn’t throw a few fits at Changbin’s smug smirk and darts that always managed to end in the middle. There was no way that damn dart going for the ground always go up last minute. Silently, he promised himself he would beat Changbin one day and without magic.

Jisung was getting better and it terrified and disgusted him.

“I think you are overly mean to yourself.”

Holding Hae in his arms and lying in his long chair, Changbin looked like the laziest witch the world had ever seen. The first quarter moon shedding its light on the pound, make it look like a portal to another world.

The evening had started with Changbin declaring it was a shame Jisung haven’t drink with him yet and it was his duty to at least share a bottle. They didn’t know when he needed to leave anyway. The drunken laughter had smoothly turned into late-night confessions, the gentle moonlight only witness of the scene.

Tracing pattern on the ground with a small stick, Jisung shrugged. 

“You’re putting your expectation on things you know won’t work; like the watch,” added Changbin, making a small movement that snatched the stick from Jisung’s hand for it to come to Changbin. Jisung was about to protest when he met the eyes of his friend. “Inside, you know you’re not going to get anything from it, don’t you?”

He did. Nothing in Sigan and Voyagers’ history made it at least a possibility that it would work. Could not blame it for trying but Jisung knew he had deluded himself by coming here.

“I don’t know if I should indulge and engage in this whole thing he planned like,” Jisung swallowed the lump in his throat and ignored his chest pain to giggle tiredly. “Felix left for a reason, didn’t he?”

“I think only you know this, Sungie,” Changbin’s voice was soft and Hae curled up in his stomach, as to reassure him. Hae did that a lot — to its owner and Jisung — when they felt their distress. Caressing the soft fur of Hae, Changbin cleared his voice. “You know, I had a lover and they were the greatest person I ever met. But still, life had somehow taken them away from me and I couldn’t do anything about it, and that day I lost— everything that ever mattered to me. My status at the Sabbath, my house and a part of me I will never find again. But I’m here, aren’t I? You can live after a loss, can you? It’s up to you to choose if you’re willing to make this sacrifice and,” he paused to look into Jisung’s eyes, “My house will always be open for you.”

It was the most Changbin had revealed of his past of Jisung and he felt privileged and burdened at the same time. So much trust had gone into his story, and while it was oblivious it was still a sensitive subject, Jisung could feel it was meant to help him.

Jisung observed Changbin for a few minutes. Eyes now closed, cat purring and bathed in moonlight, he might look like the laziest mage in the world but Jisung knew he truly was the strongest. Even if he didn’t show it a lot, Jisung had a lot of respect for the witch— a puppy crush Felix would have called it.

“Changbin, you’re the coolest to me, you know?”

Surprise flashed on Changbin’s face before he burst out laughing. Hae hopped off his laps, bothered by the full laugh body he was having. When Changbin calmed down, he looked at the sky, like he was speaking to the stars. “Everyone, I’ve been acknowledged by Hannie.”

“Why are you talking to the stars, idiot,” muttered Jisung, embarrassed but the fond look and soft ruffle of hair of Changbin get the better of him as he melted. Squishing his cheek against the fabric of the long chair, Jisung looked at the mage, glowing under the star. 

Maybe everything would be ok.

A small part of Jisung felt guilty of staying for free at Changbin’s. Even though he knew that Changbin’s complaining was only playful, he couldn’t help but feel like he was abusing off his kindness. So he tried to find every ways, subtle or not to be helpful in the house, from watering the plants to feeding Hae or even cooking for them, the days Changbin could not go out of the bed.

But most importantly, Jisung was doing errands for Changbin. The mage needed an unreasonable amount of products on a daily basis he somehow didn’t have in his house. From what Jisung gathered, it was more out of safety than lack of organization — in Changbin’s version, at least. 

The packages retrieved by Jisung didn’t seem very dangerous though, sometimes a bit heavy and weirdly sparkly but not worthy of a demon-summoning if dropped. Still, Jisung tried to make an effort to decrease his falling quota on his bike whenever he was going to YYXY.

YYXY was a flower shop close to Changbin’s house and was a regular spot for Jisung to come get weird shaped plants and parcel for his friend. The name sounded a bit like a disease in Jisung’s opinion, but the girls running the shop would annihilate him if he dared say a bad word about their baby.

On his red bike, Jisung felt a shiver run through his body.

Getting on the bad side of the girls was the last thing he wanted to do. And also, it was starting to get a bit cold. Even if the flying motorcycles were the coolest thing he ever saw, Jisung was pretty sure he couldn’t bear the freezing air above the building.

Thankfully, he had arrived and he parked his bike in front of the shop, not bothering to tie it to anything. No one would be interested in that seemingly old bike. The square was quite busy but when wasn’t it really — people didn’t have the time to stop.

The bell tingled as Jisung opened the door and a gust of heat slapped him in the face.

“Hi, Chaewon!”

“Hello!” said the small blond girl behind the counter, beaming at him. “How are you today?”

“I’m good! And I don’t see Hyejoo or Jiwoo so I’m guessing you’re feeling well too,” Chaewon laughed at his over-exaggerated wink and dismissed him with one hand, making something explode behind Jisung. 

It was just a flower, whose petals were now lying on the floor, a common occurrence in the little shop. Giving him a tired look, Chaewon shrugged as to say she was going to take care of it later and Jisung answered by a grimace, emphasizing with the girl’s struggle. Chaewon was not a witch as experimented as Changbin but certainly more dangerous, her power rather newly discover and kind of all over the place. Cue a daily firework of petals.

“What are you here for today if not insulting my girlfriends and making me destroy my shop, mister?”

Jisung glanced at the list Changbin had written him, a bunch of unreadable scribble on a paper stained by coffee and something Jisung preferred not to try to identify. While Jisung was trying to decipher if Changbin had meant ‘orchidea’ or ‘diarrhea’, Chaewon had gone to the backroom, leaving him in alone with the small jungle that was the flower shop.

Jisung was trying to get back his paper from a carnivorous plant — who kind of reminded him of Hae — that had literally eaten it when Chaewon got back. Or at least it had taken a good bite at it. Chaewon helped him by stroking gently the monster and Jisung grumbly got it back.

He was about to talk to her about safety measures that needed to be upgraded when Chaewon clapped as if she got reminded of something.

“By the way, someone left flowers for you!”

“They did?" Jisung wasn’t aware he knew enough people and they liked him so much they gave him flowers here.

Nodding enthusiastically, Chaewon reached for a jar next to plant-Hae and put together a bouquet of carnation in a blink of an eye, not letting the time for Jisung to process anything. She pushed the small bouquet into his hands before he could say anything and Jisung looked in bewilderment at the bright red ribbon she had tied around the flowers. It was pretty, bicolored white and pink, but he truly didn’t know how to react. 

Why would anyone gift him flowers? 

Surely no one who was aware of Sigan’s customs — or rather no one in their right minds. Being courted was not in Jisung’s immediate plan of life. Not with anyone whose name didn’t start with an F and ended with a ‘elix’, had a whole galaxy on his cheeks and a heart even bigger, at least.

Chaewon was staring at him with bright eyes, eager to see his reaction. “From whom?” asked Jisung, tightening his grip on the strap of his bag.

“Aaah, That’s a secret,” said Chaewon, putting a finger on her mouth and winking. 

Her act was broke when Hyejoo came from behind to hug her and she squealed. Jisung looked away as Chaewon started to pout at her girlfriend and they started a weird flirty banter. Thank you for the reminder that he was painfully soulmate touch starved.

Jisung stared at the bouquet of carnation like they could reveal the identity of their sender. Talking flowers had already crossed paths with Jisung and, he must say they were mostly loud and noisy and had wanted to make Felix and him kiss. It had been quite an awkward situation for every party involved. (Un?)fortunately, those flowers stayed mute to any attempt at conversation.

Later that evening, Changbin teased him about the new decoration in his room but Jisung couldn’t care less as his darts lodged into the double bull. The carnations died quickly but not his questions.

Mysterious flower gifter struck again in the following weeks, leaving Jisung more and more perplexed at each bouquet given by a knowing Chaewon and her girlfriends squealing in the backroom.

Even Changbin had decided to bother him with it, refusing to trace back the sender of the flower. Apparently, it was funnier to see Jisung lose his mind over trying to not let the flowers die. 

It was out of pure selfishness Jisung wanted to find the person, to be honest. To thanks them but also make clear they shouldn’t have false hope. He only accepted and gave gifts with that sort of implication to one person. But they could be friends or something! Changbin had snorted at that and a pillow almost immediately met his face. They and Hae only broke 2 pots that night.

During one of his bi-weekly visits to YYXY, Changbin had accepted to go with Jisung for once. However, as soon as Changbin entered, he became distracted by plant-Hae so it left Jisung to deal with a mischievous Chaewon and a flower arrangement of Iris.

As always, she spun around the shop to water the plants, ignoring Jisung’s desperate pleas.

“Come on, Chae, please tell me,” whined Jisung, trying to keep up with her intense pace.

“Nope!”

“Come on, if you tell me I’ll stop teasing you about your—”

Someone coming from the backroom passed next to him to exit the store and when Jisung glanced absentmindedly at them, the world froze around him, sounds muffled and everything blurring except _him_.

“Jisung?” asked Chaewon next to him, but it sounded like she was already dimensions away from him.

“I— I need to go—”

Her protestations faded as Jisung tripped to get to the door, bumping into Changbin and a few pots in the way.

 _Felix_.

Jisung wondered for a split second if he was dreaming — but when he stumbled in the street and caught a good glance on the profile of the young man who had stopped to look at a stand, there was no doubt left.

It was surreal really, seeing him in this town that Jisung had learned to know and like. As if he was watching a ghost, Jisung followed the movement of his hand tucking his hair back on his ear. 

Felix’s hair had become longer. Felix was now blond. Felix had a big bouquet of Iris in his arm — the same Iris that Jisung had gotten earlier. _Felix_.

Jisung didn’t realize he had yelled the name until Felix jumped slightly and looked at him straight in the eyes.

The moment lasted a hundred years or ½ seconds before Felix smiled and stepped into the dense crowd. He was disappearing again and Jisung could not let that happen; not again. The bell tingled behind him as he picked up the pace.

Everything happened too fast. 

Flowers exploded in his hands, temporarily blinding him. He could still hear Chaewon’s scream behind him but he didn’t linger enough to know if she was alright. He was convinced her girlfriends would be a hundred percent more effective than he could ever be anyways.

The petals rain would be pretty if it wasn’t hampering every of Jisung and every person around him’s movements. It seemed like Jisung’s bouquet wasn’t the only one to have burst, leaving the street in a mess.

After battling his way through the crowd, the street cleared to make places to what Jisung would later call — in the nicest way possible — the Worst Moment of his Entire Life.

Felix was getting on a green motorcycle, where someone in a cap was driving, and something broke in Jisung when he realized _he wasn’t going to be reaching him in time_.

His eyes met Felix’s as the latter was gripping the vest of his driver. Nonchalant, Felix’s face lighted up and he enthusiastically waved at him as the motorcycle revved and started off. Froze into place, Jisung felt his legs give out, the adrenaline slowly leaving his body. After a few meters, the motorcycle got off, its wheels leaving the ground and Jisung’s reach.

"No!" His cry was useless, lost in the now forming crowd who came to see what was going on. The cheeky smile of Felix faded to let place to a soft expression but he was already too high up in the sky for Jisung to recognize what it truly meant.

"No… Come back…"

"C'mon, Jisung, let's go home," the warm voice of Changbin only made Jisung sobs louder. His home was currently disappearing between the clouds and probably already leaped, far away from Jisung, his flowers and his broken heart.

No amount of hot chocolate, darts or fireplace were able to make Jisung feel warmer.

☉⧗☉

Jisung pushed the red silk scarf higher on his face, covering his mouth and nose. The streets were too busy for anyone to truly pay attention to him, but Jisung quickly noticed that his clothes were a bit unusual among the hanboks everyone was wearing. 

Now, he tried to avert curious gazes and to block the putrid smell of the air, and his scarf was barely doing a decent job at fulfilling both goals. Jisung sighed. He could almost hear the teasing voice of Felix.

_Amazing cover as always._

But he wasn’t there.

A mule pushed him and Jisung tripped over a carpet who was left in the middle of the street, sending him into a small adjacent and narrow street. Before he could think about how much he hated inattentive carpet salesman and the filthy ground he was about to hit, Jisung crashed into a mass who yelled as they fell together.

While Jisung mostly fell on the poor guy — judging by the voice alone—, it seems as the other wasn’t as lucky if the following series of swears was anything to go by. Scrambling on his feet, Jisung got up, at last, crushing inadvertently a hand and elbowing a tummy. Even after he was off of him, the other still laid on the ground, groaning out of pain or anger. Fortunately, his long coat had kept his body from touching directly the dirty soil, and his face was covered by a hood.

“Keeper’s suns, I’m so so sorry,” said Jisung, holding a hand out to help the boy get up.

Afraid for a moment he had permanently injured the other, Jisung nudged with his foot the side of the inert body on the floor. Said body gripped his foot before he could do it a second time, making Jisung let out a little cry. Definitely not dead and maybe pissed.

Still silent, the boy finally took the hand Jisung was offering and got up with a huff. The hood had fallen, letting Jisung take a good look at his victim for the first time. Sharp and soft features mixing on his pain-wisted face, without knowing anything about him, Jisung could tell he was certainly considered as attractive here.

Catching his staring, the boy must have realized his hood was no longer doing anything to cover his face and cursed before looking around with wide eyes, quickly putting his hood back on. But it was too late, Jisung had already taken a good look on his face.

“Hey—”

“What do you want?” Cut immediately the boy, stepping back from Jisung who lifted his arms in the air at the aggressive response.

“Wow, calm down, I’m sorry for making you fall, it’s all because of the mule, don’t you think the road is a bit too crowded by—”

“Stop, what do you _truly_ want from me?”

Uncomfortable, Jisung looked around and tried to think of an answer that would appease the boy. He already felt bad for crashing into him and didn’t want to offend him more than he already did — but was pretty oblivious to the custom of this dimension. “Uh… I don’t know? A bit of gratitude would be nice, I guess?”

Pausing for a moment, the boy took a clear once over of Jisung’s clothes and quickly made a conclusion, arm defensively crossed in front of him. “You’re not from here.”

“Ah… That obvious?”

“You have no idea,” looking already a lot more relaxed than a few minutes ago, the boy removed his hood enough to have a proper eye-contact with Jisung. “I’m Seungmin.”

“Jisung!”

Maybe he should crash into people more if that meant he was able to make friends with them afterward. Not that this stranger was already Jisung’s friend but from his gentle aura and his switch in attitude as soon as he realized he was a foreigner, he could tell he won’t be his enemy at least.

“So…” Seungmin said, not making a move to return to the main street. The little alley was nice but a bit creepy; Jisung shivered slightly. “What are you doing in Hanyang?

“I’m searching for…” Jisung stopped. How could he describe Felix to a mere stranger? That he was the sun, the stars, the moon, the entire universe and even more. That his voice hid millions of confidence, beautiful things, the theory of everything and what hasn’t been discovered yet. That his hair smelled like spring and his eyes contained the sadness of someone who had seen too much but still believed. “The most beautiful man in the world.”

Even though it was the worst description he ever made and Jisung’s cheeks were burning of shame, Seungmin nodded. A glint of comprehension twisted his lips briefly like he was too accustomed to that kind of request. “I know a place where you can find them.”

“What?”

“The most beautiful people in the country, I know a place where you can find them,” said Seungmin, with the most confidence he had so far in their conversation. “You’ll perhaps find your boy, or another one, who knows?”

Trying not to be offended by the last sentence as it was clearly coming for a place of different culture and mindset (and also Seungmin was his only hope right now), Jisung agreed with a small smile. Nobody could even come close to Felix anyway.

Making sure his hood was back on his face again, Seungmin and then Jisung finally exited the little alley. The roads were as busy as when Jisung had left it and he quickly grabbed the back of Seungmin’s cape to not lose him in the crowd.

The journey was both excruciatingly long but also one of the best time Jisung had in the city so far. Used to do his errands alone, Jisung found it was nice to have someone with whom interact and comment on things while walking. Seungmin revealed himself to be sarcastic but not mean and hilarious in his own ways — reminding Jisung of Changbin.

Jisung didn’t know what he did to come across such good people but he was certainly not complaining.

His feet were hurting him and the sun — only one again, what a shame — has gone down for a while already when Seungmin finally stopped, making clear they reached their destination. However, there was nothing except the main palace of the city standing in front of them. 

Glancing at Seungmin, Jisung found him taking his hood off and a big inspiration of air. “Is that—”

“Gyeongbokgung Palace,” Seungmin offered him a tired smile. “Let’s go.”

“What—”

Two soldiers currently guarding the middle arc of the gate, straightened up noticeably at the view of Seungmin when he stepped into the light and bowed deeply. Seungmin paid little to no mind to them and walked through the entrance gate, closely followed by a wary Jisung.

Blood left Jisung’s face as they passed the third gate and Seungmin didn’t seem to want to stop anytime soon. No one had arrested them so far — a miracle really — but Jisung had a feeling it won’t last long. They almost reached the small lake inside the palace’s enclosure when a man hailed behind them. 

His body tensing up and a knot in his stomach forming, Jisung was about to jump in the lake and bring Seungmin with him but the man had already caught up on them and bowed in front of Seungmin before Jisung could start to apologize profusely or vomit.

“Prince, I’m glad to see you back, we—”

“Not now,” Jisung widened his eyes at Seungmin. What did he mean not now? Was the man addressing him as prince? “Go prepare a room for my guest and I’ll be at Hyunjin’s if there is an emergency. That’s your only baggage right?”

The last question was addressed to Jisung and his saddlebag but he was too busy choking on his spit to answer. He only calmed down after the intendant left and Seungmin had stroked his back for a good five minutes.

“You’re the _prince_ ?” almost yelled Jisung to Seungmin who was now massaging the bridge of his nose.

“Not the crown prince, just a prince.”

“It doesn’t matter—”

“Yes it does, my brother will be the one ascending to the throne, not me.” Jisung had more than one thing to say about that but the pointed look he was given shut him up. Stopping before opening the door of the building they stopped in front of, Seungmin tapped nervously on the handle before turning back to Jisung. “Ok so, we’re going to meet Hyunjin, going also by Maehwa — Hyunjin’s stage name. Don’t freak out and let me handle this, ok? Hyunjin can be a bit… Intimidating”

Before Jisung could process anything what happened — _Seungmin was a_ prince _and he was apparently going to meet someone who made the freaking_ prince _of a whole country intimidated_ — Seungmin opened the blue door and stepped inside.

The person in the room was writing, lighten up by candles, the tamed light making it hard to determine their gender. But even under the less flattering angle or tamed light, they were indubitably beautiful. There was something imposing in their posture, straight but elegant, obviously trained to stay like this for hours straight. Or it was it in the way they were handling the brush, each of their movements becoming captivating. 

They were enchanting and Jisung had yet to see their faces. 

The pitying look and earlier comment of Seungmin made sense, the most beautiful people in the country. 

Next to Jisung, Seungmin didn’t wait for him to get out of his stunned state and was already moving toward the person. Almost distraught by the thought of this serene scene being destroyed by another human being, Jisung had a movement forward but Seungmin already reached his destination.

With the carefulness of someone touching a flower, Seungmin put his hand over Hyunjin’s shoulder. Not startled in the slightest, they finished their last stroke on paper before putting the brush down and finally, look up.

The gasp escaping Jisung’s lips was louder than he wished it was but couldn’t be helped. The person was male, the hard line of the jaw unmistakable, but his features were as delicate as if it was carved in the marble by the most skilled and meticulous sculptor. On his fair skin, the velvety red of his lips bloomed in a gentle smile at the sight of Seungmin.

“Long time no see, Gibu, ”

“No, it hasn’t.” Despite the bluntness, Seungmin didn’t sound mean but even fond. Hyunjin only giggled softly in response and grabbed his wide skirt, spread around him, together to get up. However, he was quickly stopped by Seungmin who gave him a slight movement of head into Jisung’s direction.

“Hyunjin, I would like you to meet Jisung, he’s looking for someone and you might be of some help.”

“You think too highly of me I fear.” 

Seungmin’s face softened as Hyunjin bowed his head, as an attempt of fake modesty. 

“No I don’t, you’re one of the most capable people I know,” Seungmin cooed and it took everything for Jisung to not have a full-body shiver of disgust. He couldn’t believe he escaped Chaewon and her girlfriends’ cheesiness just to deal with it in another dimension. Life was too cruel with him. “And it’s about something you are very familiar with, so.”

For the first time since the beginning of the conversation, Hyunjin truly looked at Jisung. A shiver ran through Jisung’s spine whereas Hyunjin’s cold gaze was looking at him intensely. Gone the warm and shyness of the previous conversation, and a cold breeze traversed the room.

Jisung cleared his throat, encouraged by the smile of Seungmin. “I’m searching for my friend and Seungmin told me you could help me…” His voice flattered near the end. He had never been comfortable with too pretty people and even more those who knew they were and looked down on it.

“He looks stupid,” concluded Hyunjin, looking up at Seungmin, like Jisung wasn’t at less than 10 meters away from them. 

“Do not be rude to him he’s my guest,” said Seungmin, visibly tightening his grip gently on Hyunjin’s shoulders.

Hyunjin scoffed.

A knock interrupted them and the tired face of the intendant that had stopped Seungmin and Jisung by earlier appeared in the crack of the door.

“Prince—”

“I’m coming. I’ll be back in two seconds,” he said, looking at both an unbothered Hyunjin and a terrified Jisung.

Jisung felt his stomach sank as Seungmin closed the door behind him. Immediately, Hyunjin jumped on Jisung’s throat — not literally but Keeper’s know it felt like it. “What do you want from Seungmin?”

“Me?” asked stupidly Jisung, pointing at himself. The obvious lack of any other human presence in the room and the cold attitude of Hyunjin, swiftly let him fumbling with his hands. He painfully stuttered, “uhh nothing? I happen to have met him on the street and now I’m here and very confused.”

“If I found anything suspicious, I won’t hesitate to kill you.” Jisung had absolutely no doubt about that. The words contrasted violently with the sweet —very fake— smile Hyunjin displayed right after. 

“Don’t say that with such an angelic face…”

“The prettiest roses surround themselves by the most lethal thorns, dear, that’s how they stay blooming.”

The door slammed open before Jisung could reply. Hyunjin’s sharp eyes softened once again, leaving Jisung wondering if this whole interaction had even happened at all.

“Jisung, it’s late, let me show you your room,” Jisung nodded and scrambled on his feet, rushing out of the room and Hyunjin’s threat.

Seungmin caught him up a few minutes after, leaving Hyunjin with a soft blush from what Jisung could see, and waved a last time at his lover before closing the door. With eagerness, he turned to Jisung and grabbed his hands.

“So! That went well, no?”

Not being able to tell if he was joking or not, Jisung shrugged. “Hyunjin hates me and honestly, same.”

“Jisung, don’t be too harsh with Hyunjin, surviving at the court is more difficult than you seem to think it is,” Jisung huffed and Seungmin laughed at his petty attitude. Patting his shoulder and with a tilt of head reminding Jisung of a puppy, Seungmin added, “so, try to befriend him, please? I think it would be a shame for you two to be on bad terms.”

With an exaggerated sigh, Jisung finally nodded. He owned that to Seungmin who’s smile could now light up the whole palace, obviously happy at the perspective of his new friend and lover getting along.

And who was Jisung to shatter his dream?

⧗

_“Wait for me dumbass!”_

_Too caught up in his mind, the voice of Felix only rings in Jisung’s ears, a white noise fading within the sound of his breath and footsteps._

_Sixteen-years-old Jisung doesn’t have time. It’s not the crushing thought of having no time left and feeling one’s life slip between their fingers that drives him but more the burning envy of wanting to do everything right now just because he could._

_And so, Jisung doesn’t have time, none to stay a bit after dinner with his moms, none to get an adult’s approval before leaping, none to wait for Felix._

_Jumping over a lying tree trunk, fallen due to the storm, Jisung surely and quickly makes his way through the familiar forest. Trees so huge that the sky was completely cover and treacherous pounds all over the place, the forest is mostly infamous for its trickiness and wildness._

_However, Jisung had learned long ago the secret and beauty of these woods moving past the rumors. The black forest was like people, sometimes you had to dive a little deeper to find what they truly are._

_A branch cracked under his foot, making some birds fly away and Jisung finally arrives in front of his cave. Hollowed out in the mountain, the cave wasn’t big and could only contain 5 people if they were small and pressed together. Needless to say, no one really cared about this cave._

_Which made it perfect for Jisung._

_He enters the cave and immediately goes to where a little ball of fluff is currently sleeping in a hole between two stalagmites. Cooing, Jisung reach for the little animal who climbs up his arm and went for his neck, snuggling against his skin. Jisung giggles, the fur tickling his sensitive neck before reaching for his pocket, the food he had stolen from the cupboard safely tucked in his vest._

_The little animal sniff and start eating right away, under Jisung’s amazed eyes. “Aah, you’re so cute.”_

_Too engrossed into watching the muzzle of the animal scrunch up and imitating it, Jisung doesn’t hear the person approaching until they coughed obnoxiously._

_“What is that.” Felix’s voice is dangerously blank and when Jisung looks up at him, he could see his hands shaking slightly. His face matches his tone and he is looking down at the little animal in Jisung’s arms like it is about to jump at him._

_“Nothing?”_

_“Jisung don’t fucking lie to me, what is this?”_

_“Hey, don’t call him this,” snaps Jisung, bringing the animal close to his chest, as to protect him from Felix’s deadly stare._

_To be honest, Jisung is disappointed by Felix’s reaction. Of course, it was not completely legal but also, was it so wrong to rescue a little animal from the claws of a predator and then bring it back to heal it? The fact it’s objectively a very cute thing did not hurt either._

_Actually, Jisung wanted to present it to Felix soon so they could both take care of it. Unfortunately, the situation is not exactly following Jisung’s dreams of a happy family he envisioned._

_“Please tell me this is just an animal from the forest that I have somehow never seen or heard about before—”_

_“It’s just an animal from the forest that you somehow never seen or heard about before?”_

_Felix whines and let himself fall next to Jisung, on a rock covered of moss. He folded his legs in front of him, making him seem smaller than he was. The squirrel-looking animal, short of food, came to see if the new person has something for him; he runs on Jisung’s arm before sniffling the fingertips of Felix. Jisung would have found this cute if Felix didn’t seem even more freaked out._

_Felix looked up at him as the animal grows uninterested by the lack of food and goes back to snuggle on Jisung’s neck. His voice sounded on the verge of breaking. “You’re in so much trouble…”_

_“We’re allowed to bring back thing!” protested Jisung, petting the animal delicately, angering Felix._

_“Great Keeper help me, not living thing, Jisung, no!” Biting his nails and wrapping a protective arm around his waist, Felix looks around them, as to verify no one was there and could listen. “Can you just get it back before anyone find out? I’ll talk to the Ferryman and you’ll just sneak out. Or I’ll talk to your mom and they’ll find something. Oh Kepper, I hope no one from the Conseil will hear about it…”_

_Jisung was aware he was kind of in the wrong here._

_Voyager code was a boring book and set of rules written too many lunar circles ago to be relevant anymore. In Jisung’s opinion at least; Felix knew the whole thing on the back of his hand. Something about needing to be the responsible one. In any case, they were forced to read and learn it anyway so yes he did know no one is allowed to bring living being from Outside._

_But, again, what was Jisung supposed to do between living this adorable thing and bringing it back for a better life? Did those old men even think about those kinds of situations before writing these stupid rules? Exactly._

_The stunned silence following his rant made it clear he did not make unanimity. Trying to lighten the mood, Jisung cough and give him a tight smile. “Let’s ignore it, ok? Wanna pet it?”_

_“Stop being so egoist for two seconds would you?” snaps Felix, fire in his eyes and clenched fists. “I’ve been trying so hard to find a solution for you to not get your ass beat or worse and I’m trying not to think about what the worse is and you’re just sitting here petting the fucking thing, fuck you Jisung!”_

_With horror, Jisung watches the fire morph into water in Felix’s eyes, tears starting to fall uncontrollably and while Felix tries to muffle his sobs by pressing a hand on his mouth._

_“Oh no, Pixie I’m so sorry I didn’t realize it was stressing you this much...”_

_“No, I’m the one sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that,” whimpered Felix, whipping roughly his tears as they run down his cheeks. Jisung caressed his cheeks to appease the red trace his fist leave behind. “I’m scared for you, I really am.”_

_The animal, sensing the distress of Jisung, whimpers too and starts licking his cheek. Jisung feels a bit like crying too. Felix had been stressed the whole week and it was the final straw for him; the sobs are shaking his body and Jisung pulls him closer to kiss the top of his head._

_“I’m giving him back as soon as we go out, please stop crying, Pixie— come on, stop crying...”_

_Arms full of a dimming and weeping sun, Jisung knew. He needed to be and do better. But, to do so, he still had time._

_Or at least, he hopes so._

⧗

Jisung had never been a fan of big events. Back home, the only matter deserving of a proper celebration were Wheel of Fortune day and birthdays, and even then, Jisung always managed to either escape discreetly (his mama made it clear to him it should not happen again for both of their sakes) or keep the number of people around him rather low. His mom, mama, and Felix were more than enough to make Jisung feels special.

So, when Seungmin sat him down to talk to him about a wedding, Jisung was confused. Of course, he knew about the overall concept but also—

“Why are you telling me that?”

Taken aback at his reaction, or rather the lack of it, Seungmin first reached comfort in Hyunjin but the latter only smiled quietly as to say ‘I won’t deal nor help you with that’. 

Since their discussion, Hyunjin hasn’t threatened Jisung again but he also couldn’t say they were the best of friends. Hyunjin merely tolerated his presence because Seungmin had taken a liking out of Jisung and he was highly aware of it.

“Jisung, it’s a royal wedding.”

“I still don’t understand what’s it has to do with me…” Jisung squinted his eyes at Seungmin. "You're not the one getting married, right?"

It was apparently too much for Hyunjin, who tried to hide his laugh while Seungmin buried his face in his hands.

“The crown prince is getting married, which means the whole city and country will be celebrating and it is an immense honor to participate in the wedding celebrations which you are going to be a part of.”

Wedding celebrations sounded like it will be a boring and pompous event, full of old nobles whose smiles were only as fake as their gold jewelry. Already planning a way to escape this promised-hellscape, Jisung looked at Hyunjin who had not stopped playing his kayagum since the beginning of the conversation, the long instrument laying on his knees.

“You will be there?”

“Oh, my dear—” Hyunjin scoffed— “You are like a little child, it is so fun to watch.”

Jisung pouted. His lack of knowledge of this world with all the rules that came with it only became more apparent each day that passed. Thankfully, Seungmin did not seem to mind and was even pleased with Jisung’s ignorance. Being a prince was a lonely life from what he had observed. And also busy. Busy enough to let Jisung have a fair amount of time in his hands.

Endless, the palace had never failed to surprise Jisung during the short time he had been for. Usually spending not more than a few hours per day with Jisung, Seungmin had nevertheless taken care of showing him his favorite part and secret of his house. Proud as the peacock he kept into the garden, it was endearing to see Seungmin so excited to show his world to someone who couldn’t care less about his status.

It was not Jisung didn’t care really it was more than once the shock passed — being a prince was a pretty big deal — he did not have any attachment to the hierarchical system here. Not enough attachment to retain Jisung from teasing Seungmin and his flushed cheeks each time they left Hyunjin’s cabinet.

Speaking of Hyunjin, he did not show it but Jisung knew that even if he bore with him most of the time, he was not really happy with Seungmin’s free time being increasingly taken up by Jisung.

After finishing his tea, Jisung got up and stretched noisily despite Hyunjin’s clear disapproval. “I’m going to go for a walk!” Seungmin nodded and reached for his coat, as to leave, but Jisung hurried to add, “no, it’s ok, I think I want to be alone for now.”

“Oh ok, if you’re sure.”

He was not but Hyunjin’s genuine little smile was almost worth the trouble.

Outside the room, where the sound of the kayagum had already stopped and he did not want to know what was now happening, Jisung tried to review his option. He could go to the lake, the evening making it agreeable. Or he could go to the kitchen! The people here were actually really nice even after he ranted about Felix’s nose for ten minutes to them.

Was Felix actually in the palace, Jisung did not know. No one he asked had any recollections of anyone matching the description or quick sketch he made of Felix. The photography stayed safe and sound in his pocket, as it did not seems to be something existing here. A bit frustrating, but it didn’t make much of a difference at this point.

Only Hyunjin thought a bit more about his request than others, but the final answer was still the same.

_I have never seen this person in my life._

It was fine. Felix will come around, eventually, and Jisung would be here. Always.

Oh, maybe he could go visit secrets passages!

That was always fun, if not a bit dusty. Plus he always ended up overhear some gossips that he could discuss with Seungmin later when he wasn’t sucking face with Hyunjin.

Looking around before sliding behind a tapestry, Jisung pushed a wobbly slab he put back in place once inside the tunnel. He paused for a few seconds, letting his eyes get used to the darkness, and crawled his way toward the kitchen. After all, a small treat never hurt him before and the dinner felt lunar circles ago.

About to open the trap nearest to his destination — he did not want to freak out anyone with knives when suddenly appearing in the kitchen — Jisung stopped when he heard voices. Not sure Seungmin would appreciate revealing the secret passage to randoms, Jisung waited for the voice to fade. 

However, they did not stop and even gained in volume before a shush made them go down once again. Curious and his knees starting to seriously hurt on the rough floor, Jisung pressed his ear against the stone of the door.

“The crown prince will be dead by a fortnight, do not worry.”

The temperature around him dropped drastically as the words sank in. It was a summer evening but Jisung could feel goosebumps on his arms. A headache starting to creep in, Jisung tried to keep his breathing in control but it came out as shaky. He worried for a moment he was going to have a panic attack, the only thing keeping him from breaking down being the breathing control he had created with Felix long ago and the knowledge he needed to know more.

Almost painfully, Jisung pressed back his ear back to the stone, ignoring the little rock digging into the skin of his cheeks.

“And what about the other prince?”

“Not a problem. He’s too weak, he won’t last long.”

Jisung strangled a cry. Were they talking about his prince?

The rest of the conversation got lost but Jisung had heard more than enough. Finally, with a laugh and retreating footsteps, the men left, leaving Jisung with a coup d’état in his hand and a bad stomachache.

Waiting for five minutes to make sure no one would come, Jisung exited in a hurry off his hideout. He stumbled, the light too bright and rushed to the window as bile made his way throughout his throat. Nothing happened except some more ragged breathing and a weird look from one soldier outside.

Jisung looked at the darkening sky, background noise of life in the palace resonating in the empty hallways.

_Now what?_

⧗

The majority of the wedding was spent in a blur for Jisung. 

The overheard conversation haunting him, just letting Seungmin out of his sight made him break in cold sweats. Overprotectiveness was not something Jisung would feel for another person than Felix but suddenly he felt like he could rival and completely understand where Hyunjin came from.

Speaking of Hyunjin, he barely remembers seeing him — from his fuzzy memory alone — at the wedding. Jisung didn’t like that either. Where was he when he was actually needed?

During the break between the wedding and the dinner, Seungmin took Jisung apart to ask him if everything was fine. Jisung only laughed at his concern and called him silly, which seemed to reassure briefly Seungmin.

All the food presented to him stirs Jisung’s paranoia up. What if they poisoned the rice wine? The rice cake? The braised chicken?

After Jisung insisted to eat everything Seungmin’s ate before him, the prince finally nudged him in the side. 

“Calm down. I don’t know what’s happening with you, but just, I don’t know,” Seungmin gestured vaguely, “look at the performance, for example.”

And so, Jisung found himself being completely absorbed by the stage.

Most of the show was made by those of Hyunjin’s profession. Girls and some boys came one after another on the stage, showing their skills and hard works. However, the audience was barely paying attention and conversed loudly over the poor singer who was currently doing her best. Jisung clapped enthusiastically at the end of the song, catching the attention of a few inattentive nobles next to him who clapped idly too. The singer bowed and smiled at Jisung who made a thumb up at her.

“Next is one of our most requested and respected kisaeng, Maehwa, with their sword dance.”

Barely noticeable to an untrained eye but painfully obvious for Jisung, Seungmin sudden jerk of the head then little glances to the main scene were a dead giveaway. It was a shame Jisung have not seen Hyunjin perform yet, but it was about to change imminently.

Along with three other kisaengs, Hyunjin took place in the middle of the room. Unconsciously probably, Seungmin held noticeably his breath. 

The music started to stir Hyunjin up. 

The blades were probably not that sharp, but Hyunjin moved them like they were not close enough to his face to blind him. Something ached in Jisung’s chest while watching Hyunjin move around the stage.

Too quickly, the performance ended and Hyunjin bowed gracefully for the newly-wedded prince and Seungmin, longing slightly more on the latter. They cleared the stage to left the room with only three musicians.

Jisung had the time to stress-eat at least a dozen more dumplings when an intendant - looking flustered - appeared on the stage and clapped into his hand.

“This is the final event and I’ve heard it’s a mix between middle east dancers and our kisaengs!” whispered loudly to his neighbor, a noble with an extravagant hat, making the word of the intendant inaudible. The voice sounded weirdly familiar but before Jisung could dwell on it, Seungmin was shaking his sleeve to get his attention.

Seungmin looked eagerly at Jisung, which did not announce anything good for him. “You should look out for Yojeong, I’ve heard they’re an excellent dancer.”

Jisung hummed, distracted by the ddeokguk who was put in front of him. Yojeong. Fairy . What a cute name.

A gasp ran through the crowd as the dancers came into the room. Amongst the middle-eastern dancers — according to the noble — the usually conventionally and well-dressed Kisaengs were unrecognizable. Literally. Half of all of their faces were covered by colored see-through scarfs, making it hard to determine their identity. Elegant enough to not be confused with a brothel, it was still clear they were meant to allure their audiences.

The music shifted to a more rhythmic sound to let the Kisaengs and the other dancers scatter around the room in a whirlwind of vivid colors and veils. It was no surprise that Seungmin’s side was promptly filled by dancers, pushing Jisung away. He did not mind at all, though, the sight of Seungmin getting flustered by all those pretty people around him was at least as entertaining as the previous performances.

A cough was heard in front of their table and Jisung could see Seungmin blanched and all the dancers scramble on their feet to leave. Hyunjin had his reputation apparently.

“Hello, dear.”

“You were great today,” said Seungmin, trying to look less disheveled.

“Of course I was,” huffed Hyunjin, but his satisfied look was telling as he plopped down on Seungmin’s laps, draping his arms around his neck.

Feeling like he was intruding, Jisung looked away and he observed the food in front of him to distract himself from the chaos around him. Lewd men drooling all over young people were gross in concept and even more in reality.

As he was reaching from a small bread, a dark blue scarf fell on the basket. It was a dancer, bare feet and calves showing, and a large scarf of the same shade wrapped around their shoulder, covering their torso but not their chiseled abdomen. No distinctive feature could be seen on their faces, but Jisung could tell they were smirking.

“This is Yojeong.”

Hyunjin’s voice made Jisung jump. Still slouched against Seungmin, Hyunjin was feeding him with what he could - not letting Seungmin the time to chose nor refuse. The small bite he took before forcing each food between Seungmin’s lips did not escape Jisung. He now felt stupid to have been worrying so much. There was no way anyone could even come close to hurting Seungmin with Hyunjin at his side.

Yojeong was about to move on, but at the last minute, Jisung grabbed his hand. He did not know what pushed him to do so and he found himself flustered under the heavily made-up eyes of the boy.

“Hello, I’m sorry but I don’t think I saw you perform?”

“He’s shy, he won’t talk to you.” Yojeong looked anything but shy, thought Jisung as the scarf slipped off to reveal a freckled shoulder. “You can show Jisung your dance though! Yojeong has a very peculiar dance, it’s a blessing to the eyes,” exclaimed Hyunjin, getting up and hitting Seungmin in the process. 

An apology kiss later, Hyunjin was dragging Yojeong in the middle of the room. During all the short interaction he had with Yojeong, Jisung could tell something was off. Probably only out of paranoia, the hidden face of the dancer sparked his curiosity. He doubted he was there to assassinate Seungmin but Jisung wasn’t sure of nothing anymore.

His breath caught into his throat as Yojeong threw his head backward, hand toward the sky _. It could not be—_

Stomach twisting at each more step Yojeong took, Jisung observed the scene unfold under his eyes like a nightmare. It was so out of place, it felt so wrong, Jisung wanted to scream, yell, leap, throw up, everything but watching _this_.

Who was Yojeong and why was he performing a traditional dance from Jisung’s village?

Recognizable between a thousand for Jisung, it was the rise, the fall, the creation, and the harvest. It was Jisung and every Voyager’s story being performed for all those Remainers. It was not right.

“Are you enjoying Yojeong’s dancing?” Asked Hyunjin, unaware of the tightening fist of Jisung under the table.

Who was Yojeong? The question burned Jisung’s lips, throat, and entire being. Either a witch or a Voyager, for sure. Actually, they could only be a Voyager. No one except them knew about such complex dance, and they must be really good, as Yojeong was performing at the center place.

Who was a Voyager, had freckled shoulders, center dancer, careful to hide their face but bold enough to broke at least a hundred rules? Only one person met all those criteria.

Yojeong. Fairy. _Pixie_.

Jisung did not waste time to rush out his seat just as the music faded out and Felix was rushing off the stage, ignoring the scattered catcalls and clapping. This time, he won’t let him go. Already gone by the main door, Felix had the disadvantage of being half-naked and pretty noticeable amongst the servant, only person out in the palace at this hour.

Not taking the risk of taking a secret passage and losing him, Jisung ran into the corridors, following the flash of blue as much as he could. At last, they entered a wing of the palace he wasn’t familiar with and he panted as he climbed the stairs. 

Who made this palace so huge?

Sitting at a window and waiting for him, Felix had open the shutter to let the wind flow into the hallway and the moon shine onto them. He was so close, at hand reach. So close, close enough for Jisung to bring him back to him, to their lives, to their house, to their home, to Jisung.

The first to break the silence was Felix and his easy smile. The scarf around his shoulder did little job to cover his bare torso and Jisung looked away with difficulty. “Are you having fun?”

“I— Am I having fun? You can’t be serious?”

“Jisung—” Felix looked expectantly at him, clapping his hands together— “Are you having fun?”

It was the first time in several months Jisung was having a real conversation with Felix and the whole thing felt surreal. Maybe one meal was really poisoned and now Jisung was hallucinating.

Candide, Felix was still waiting for an answer, breeze messing up his hair, putting it into his eyes, and he quickly fixed it. The banality of the action snapped Jisung out of it. If Felix wanted news, then so be it.

“Well, Seungmin is nice and Hyunjin isn’t that bad as he seems to be originally, you know how it goes,” encouraged by the attentive eyes of Felix focused on him, Jisung felt himself moving forward and his arms getting more animated. “I should tell you about Changbin too, you know you—”

“I’m glad, tonight was fun.”

And, as Jisung was reaching to grab him, Felix let himself fall out the window. One second Felix was there, sitting and discussing and the other, already gone.

Again.

Fumbling frantically with his watch, Jisung didn’t notice the person who came out of the dark and almost fell too when it spoke behind him.

“What are you doing?”

“Seungmin! Don’t scare me like that, Keeper’s suns, you almost scared me to death...”

“What are doing with your watch? Is this about the thing you were so on edge for all day?”

"Seungmin, be careful of who you think is your friend.” Bittersweet, Jisung was still going by the Voyager code. As much as he wanted to, unveiling too much to a Remainer when it wasn’t his role could have consequences he couldn’t even fathom. Seungmin didn’t need his help. “Take care of Hyunjin as much as he takes care of you.”

“Jisung—”

The rest of the sentence got lost as Jisung jumped out the window, eyes firmly closed and fists clenched over his watch. He hoped the congratulation note he wrote to Hyunjin would reach him, it would be a shame to be on bad terms after all. 

☉⧗☉

The third destination also was the shortest.

The person at his arrival only acknowledged his presence by a nod, like he was expected and Jisung was out as soon as he could. Ferrymen had always had a mystery surrounding them that Jisung never dared to shatter. Caged into those rooms, seeing Voyagers come and sometimes go, they were only here for the transition. Jisung couldn’t tell the name of at least one Ferryman he met. 

On the other side, Felix was always overly friendly with them — offering them a huge smile, enthusiastic thanks and small talk when they were given their clothes for the world they were about to enter.

Felix had always been better at socializing than Jisung and was usually the one conversing with one of these odd figures. Now, Felix-less-Jisung was at a bit lost and awkward with them and everyone else in the world.

Dressed up with a white shirt with guns and roses in it and jeans, Jisung put a foot outside and had immediately felt light-headed. The smells and noises overwhelming his senses, now accustomed to the silence and delicate perfume of Hyunjin’s cabinet.

Surrounded by skyscrapers and unstoppable masses of people, Jisung read the crumpled note one more time. It had the number of the dimension on it this time — which allowed him to avoid to visit a thousand others — and in nice cursive ‘The Most Highest’ . The mistake made Jisung cringe as much as it endeared him. His fight against Felix’s negligent grammar was eternal. Though he was much more indulgent when he came across was called “dyslexia” during one of their trips. It had now become a small running gag between them, but Jisung would not hesitate to destroy anyone who made fun of Felix’s writing that wasn’t him.

They knew each other limits, or Jisung had thought so. Obviously, not enough to keep him by his side.

Barely avoiding the elbow of an impatient man in suits, Jisung let himself float and follow the flow of the crowd.

Shops selling foods or small items were lining up on the street and were the main source of noise and attraction. Distracted for a moment by the mass of people agglutinating over something Jisung couldn’t see, he decided that, for once, he could take a break. Felix could wait a bit for once.

Turned out the crowd was watching a group of people performing a song Jisung didn’t know for obvious reasons but was catchy enough for him to realize he was tapping the rhythm with one foot.

In the end, Jisung observed with interest some people go to put some coins into a hat placed in front of them and watched the faces of the performers light up and bow deeply. The Ferryman had left him with a wallet and while Jisung had absolutely no clue about the currency of this dimension; he thought maybe the 2 papers written ₩50,000 on it should be enough. 

With pride, he held out the two pieces of paper to a stunned boy with vibrant blue hair, who looked between his face and paper for a moment before understanding that, yes, Jisung was giving him the yellow papers. At last and quite confused, Jisung tried to make the other stop bowing and then left him with a small wave and ‘good luck’.

Once the overwhelming stream of humans behind him, the city was nice, another type of river awaiting Jisung, on the side of the road he had taken. Trees not even coming close to the height and majesty of the one in his village, Jisung felt nostalgy crept in while walking around the path created by humans’ hands. 

Spending so long without seeing his mothers, friends and Felix were a first for Jisung and the side effects were more than unpleasant.

He had missed the Wheel of Fortune day at this point, and his moms must have been pissed. But coming back without Felix sounded too much like a defeat and he was not ready yet. His conversation with Changbin flooded back in when a black cat appeared at his feet, chasing a ladybug.

Jisung also missed his newfound family. Changbin, Seungmin and even Hyunjin had found a place in his heart and mind he knew he could not replace and he could not wait to present them to Felix.

Sun was on his way down when Jisung decided it was time to do what he had come here from. Approaching a lady sitting on a bench, Jisung cleared his throat before giving her an easy smile to her wary expression.

“Good evening ma’am, do you perhaps know where the highest place in this city may be?”

The door to the roof was a metallic blue, used by the years, produced a creaky sound when Jisung opened it.

The wind made him stumble as he stepped in the gravy surface, and he silently thanked the Ferryman who gave him the warmest coat in the wardrobe.

The burst of red was hidden into the mass of color produced by the city and its billboard, but Jisung noticed it nonetheless. At the end of the roof, sat on a white bloc, was the bundled up in a fluffy coat form of Felix.

“Hey,” said Jisung, sitting next to him.

Felix did not even look at him, his eyes lost in the void in front of him. The only thing which confirmed Jisung it was really Felix and not a hologram was the little cloud created by his breath and his nose and ear as red as his scarf. Said scarf was objectively ugly, clearly handmade with loose strings all over the place and unconventionally long.

Jisung tried not to hope exceedingly but Felix made it hard for him.

A silence Jisung was too afraid stretched out between them, making him nervous. Felix still hasn’t looked at him, ultimately making Jisung follow his gaze and met the object of his attention.

Jisung gasped.

On a giant sign in front of them, there was Felix. Not only him, but Jisung also recognize Changbin, Seungmin, Hyunjin and four other people he didn’t couldn’t recall the face of. Even if seeing Changbin and Hyunjin in the same pic was not sitting right with Jisung, his breath hitched suddenly at the sight of the person sitting next to Felix.

It was him.

Jisung was somewhat used to see his face but this version of him was looking drastically different from what he regularly saw in reflecting surfaces. Heavy makeup making his eyes drop into a sultry look that made him cringe and clothes Jisung guessed were in fashion in this world.

Felix’s deep voice made him jump. “Hyunjin looks great here, don’t you think? Chan too, but his hair looks so damaged, what a shame.” Not having a single idea who Chan was, Jisung still nodded. Hyunjin looked great, indeed and so was Seungmin; but he regretted not having something to capture the billboard, Changbin would have been very amused by the situation. “I’m happy in this dimension, I think,” Felix added, quiet.

“And in ours?” 

Jisung wasn’t sure if he wanted an honest answer.

Felix didn’t respond immediately. Tracing mindless patterns on the asphalt, it seems as he didn’t even hear the question. Both of them gasped softly when a butterfly landed on the back of Felix’s hand. The deja vu tasted more bitter than it should, the perfume of a promise yet to be fulfilled filling the already tensed air.

Maybe Jisung would never know, and it was better that way. Felix suddenly decided otherwise, murmuring a low “Maybe that’s the problem.”.

And, honestly, what was to answer to that?

Consuming anger had been left with Changbin and his darts and some of its ego stayed within Hyunjin’s delicate but deadly hands. Without a doubt, Jisung was getting better — both emotionally and humanly speaking. Still, Jisung felt empty, so close yet so far from the person he loved the most.

It seemed the time has come for Felix, who got up and dusted his pants and coat from all the bits and pieces the wind had brought.

Taken over by deep fatigue, Jisung stuttered, attempting to make Felix stay a bit more. “Just… Before you go, can you— can you leave me something? I felt lonely without you.” Something real. Something that wasn’t the watch or the small picture. Something that didn’t screamed goodbye but see you soon . Something.

Felix considered it for a moment, like this day on top of their rock some years ago, while the dawn was planning upon them and a promise was made. Nothing had changed in Felix’s expression, it was the same innocence and his eyebrows were frowning exactly as they did back then. Nothing had changed except Jisung’s heart who felt heavier inside his chest. Putting an end to Jisung’s misery and desperate pout, Felix nodded. “Sure, but you have to close your eyes first.”

Jisung would never open his eyes again if Felix asked him to was unsaid, but the promptness with which Jisung closed his eyelid was more telling than a thousand words.

A hand caressing his cheek, Jisung felt before he heard the way Felix was now so close he could lean in and they would hug. 

“I feel quite selfish today, so I will take something from you too if that’s ok?” 

As ominous as it objectively sounded, it was pathetic that the first thought of Jisung had was _but you already own me all_ . The second was to protest because Felix was the most altruist person he knew.

Nonetheless, Jisung settled for a soft “go for it,” that died on Felix’s lips as they touched his. 

It might as well be the wind the first time, a feather-light touch as ephemeral as his presence in Jisung’s life these past few months. The sweet taste of Felix’s lips quickly did not feel enough as he caught the dry bottom lip between his teeth.

It was a bit gross, to be honest. The kiss was inexperienced, warm, wet and getting rougher and rougher. Jisung never wanted it to stop.

Yet, everything had an end and the kiss wasn’t an exception.

A part of him ripped apart as the warmth was replaced by the biting cold of winter. Jisung snapped his eyes open and on his feet and looked at Felix who was already halfway from the roof’s edge.

Felix looked behind him one more time. 

“Please, come back, everything can be like it was before, please—” 

Jisung did not care anymore if his begging sounded pathetic. Each time he had to see Felix got away was horrible but this time felt even more decisive. Deep down, he knew what he was holding onto, getting back home and act like none of this ever happen, would shatter at the very moment Felix would go out his view.

“You know it’s not going to happen, Sung,” Felix said, his voice getting lost in the empty space between them— Jisung was losing him again and again and— “Find me again, yeah?”

“Please—”

A gust of wind, bringing leaf and dust with it, blew over the open space of the roof. Blinded, Jisung had to close his eyes for a second and cover it with his arms. His heart dropped as he opened his eyes to a roof he was now alone on.

Legs about to give up on him at any minute, Jisung still found the force to try and go to see if his brain was losing it or did Felix truly disappeared in a literal blink of an eye. Maybe it was for the better to not have seen him fall, he thought as the city was spreading under him. 

An unstoppable tear fell down where Felix disappeared, quickly lost under some stranger’s feet in the moving crowd.

_Two more to go._

☉⧗☉

“You’re new, right?”

The gas-dirty rag didn’t have the time to hit the floor that a hand flew out to catch it. Oblivious, the stranger responsible for Jisung’s mini heart-attack smiled at him, full dimples and white teeth out. Words got stuck in Jisung’s throat and he bowed a bit too deeply while picking up the cloth from the outstretched hand.

“Yes, I am.”

Jisung’s awkwardness apparently wasn’t enough to repel the man who laughed and stretched his other hand out, for Jisung to take. “I'm Chris!”

“Peter,” said Jisung, shaking carefully the other’s hand. It was calloused and warm and strangely comforting, his grip firm but not overwhelmingly so. Jisung was intrigued.

“Nice to meet you, Peter!”

The enthusiasm was destabilizing for Jisung, who had been here for a few days already and no one so far had tried to talk to him. Not that he minded. 

His latest encounter with Felix had left more empty than ever. He had stayed on the roof until his ear and nose threatened to fall off, watching the billboard and sky change slowly.

In a moment of weakness, Jisung had even considered going home and give up. 

The thought of Changbin’s sad eyes remembering his lost lover made it not last, as he was standing there, with a small paper cautiously folded in his pocket reading ‘where the wind rise’. It didn’t take long for Jisung to link this painfully enigmatic proverb to Felix’s strange passion for everything that flew. And he knew exactly where to find him.

Felix and Jisung didn’t always Travel together. Contrary to public belief, they didn’t do everything together. Just 80 percent. This universe was one Felix visited regularly without him and talked little about as they were both aware of the nonexistent interest of Jisung for flying objects. 

If Jisung was at a disadvantage by default, it could be multiplied by 1,000 here.

So, yes, Jisung had only been here for a couple of days, but he was already getting discouraged. He had been sadly wiping a window of the airship, given by his superior only a bucket of dirty water and one rag when Chris had interrupted him.

Jisung felt himself squirm under Chris’ attention.

Curly brown hair falling on his eyes and still smiling like he won a Wheel of Fortune event, Chris was one the most handsome person Jisung had encountered. He was not particularly one to swoon over any pretty face, as he already found one he’d rather pass the rest of his life to look at but, damn. 

Absentmindedly, Jisung caught himself following the straight line of his bridge, leading to plump lips stretched into a permanent smile framed by deep dimples. As his stare fell down a bit more, Jisung tried to keep his whine quiet when he realized the white shirt did little to nothing to cover the outline of— was it a six of eight packs ? 

Jisung wanted to cry a little. 

Chris must have mistaken Jisung’s one take look at him for silent judgment because his ears colored red and he nervously brushed his hand on his pants with a sheepish laugh. “Ah, I’m sorry man; I’m so dirty, I should have asked before touching you.”

“No, no, don’t worry! I should be the one apologizing, it was rude to... just stare at you,” _checking you out_ would have been a more honest statement but Jisung didn’t want to blow up his first opportunity of having a friend here because he couldn’t keep his hormone in check.

“You’re good buddy!” 

If Jisung was less tired, he would have got suspicious at this point. Why was this person not only the nicest but also absurdly attractive? The Great Keeper had his favorite and it showed.

“I’ve seen you around for a few days already but I didn’t want to bother you, and I assumed whipping the windows is not the blast they promised when you enrolled,” Jisung nodded with a small smile like he had any actual expectations before coming on board. He did not. It was the only airship in the entire town and he hoped he hadn’t made a big mistake and that Felix wasn’t actually happily trotting around the city as they spoke. “And I also wanted to know if you wanted to eat with me and one of my friends today?”

“Oh— I mean, yeah sure, I would like that if everyone is ok with it?”

“Don’t be silly, of course, they’re ok with it,” Chris looked at the window and the bypassing clouds, something gloom falling over his expression. “We need to be united in this day and age.”

Jisung swallowed, not knowing what to answer to this but Chris snapped out of his weird trance to take back his easy smile. 

“I’ll see you at the lunchroom, ok?” Jisung nodded and watched Chris got away and give him a little wave before passing the corner. Cute .

The same wave welcomed Jisung when he entered the lunchroom, tray in hand, filled by a few weird-shaped potatoes and water that looked a bit to brown to be drinkable. To be honest, it wasn’t that bad but after the high-quality dish he had at Seungmin, it was a hard downgrade. But Jisung wasn’t here to eat lavish meals — even if it was always appreciable.

Chris was sitting at the table near the big window with a bunch of other boys and girls Jisung recognized from having bumped into them in the hallways. Always coming too late to see them awake, Jisung actually couldn’t tell if one of them were in his dorm room.

Hesitantly, he put his tray in front of Chris and next to a kid with a smile that split his face in two and was the cutest thing Jisung ever met. Big and fox-like eyes following each of his movements, something about the way he immediately treated Jisung like an old friend while no one else at the table was paying attention to him made Jisung’s heart swell. He didn’t know his name yet but would kill for him in a heartbeat.

The boy shook his hand with an easy smile, and Jisung was surprised to see he wore a ring with a blue stone on it. Guys around there weren’t keen on jewelry as it caught up easily on the machinery.

“Jeongin, this is Peter, the guys I’ve talked to you about! Peter, this is Jeongin, he’s the youngest mechanic on board and basically a genius.” The pride in his words would make anyone think he was talking about himself but Chris was looking at Jeongin with all the stars and moons in his eyes.

“Chris…” whined Jeongin, making obvious it wasn’t the first it happened, “Don’t listen to him, he’s stupid.”

Nodding knowingly, Jisung poked at the heart-shaped potato in his plate and listened to the banter between his new acquaintances with a small smile. He participated in the conversation when Chris tried to include him but ended up being mostly silent.

The guy at his other side hit the table hard enough to startle Jisung and he caught a part of the conversation— “Officer Lee is back on board and hasn’t talked to anyone that wasn’t of high hierarchy yet, ugh, what a snob.”

Now, Jisung was interested.

“Um, Chris?”

“Yes?”

“What’s about the little tantrum he’s throwing?” asked Jisung, pointing the guy to his right who was still ranting about officers that think they were hot shit.

“Oh, don’t mind, they’re talking about this officer and he’s kind of weird? Like we don’t see him for a while and then he comes back as he wants, he doesn’t have a great reputation but he’s doing his job so,” Chris shrugged like it didn’t matter, completely unaware of the impact his words had on Jisung. “You want more potatoes?”

Jisung shook his head, eager to make the conversation came back to what interested him. “Ok, but this officer, you’re saying he’s in a kind of on and off thing?”

“Yes, I guess?”

“And what does he look like?” pressed Jisung, restlessly tapping his fork against his plate. Next to him, Jeongin’s little nudge snapped him out of it and he felt himself relax a bit under his inquisitive eyes.

“I don’t really know mate, I only saw him from afar, to be honest, but I can tell you that he’s like pretty and rather young.”

“And he has a really deep voice!”

Chris smiled softly at Jeongin who stuffed more potatoes into his mouth and beamed at the gentle ruffle of hair given by Chris.

Jisung felt dizzy. What he thought was going his most difficult, turned out to be the time he found Felix the fastest. Excluding his latest stop of course, but that was something else.

Chris gave him a weird look as Jisung was almost vibrating out of excitement but ended up shrugging and kept on eating and picked up the conversation between Jeongin and another mechanic. Silent and thankful, Jisung left him half of his plate.

⧗

Chris and Jeongin quickly became his closest friends here. As close as they could be, of course. Jisung doubted that talking about the luxury of Seungmin’s palace or the girl of the flower shops would be fitting smoothly in their conversation. It was kind of regretful but, again, Jisung wasn’t here to bound with people. Not that he succeeded so far, but he was still hoping this time would be different.

The airship had a few stops and only during those times Jisung could hope to get a glimpse of Felix. It was out of the question the rest of the time, as Jisung was mostly working in the engine room and officers had a whole wing of the airship reserved for them and didn’t even eat with the rest of the crew. Sneaking on the said wing had crossed Jisung’s mind a few times but he also didn’t want to get thrown (literally) off the airship if anything goes wrong. His chance to find Felix here would be completely ruined, a comeback from the dead looking pretty difficult to explain to the captain.

What had seems like the easiest dimension turned out to be the most frustrating, the knowledge of Felix being so close yet so untouchable slowly eating Jisung up. 

The angels that Chris and Jeongin were, seeing Jisung’s constant angst had gone out of their way to make him feel comfortable. From Jeongin’s smile and regular check of if he needed water or help while surrounded by overheating engines, to Chris not so discreet attempts to give him more food on his plate, Jisung had rapidly felt so comfortable with them both like he hadn’t for a long time with someone.

Life on an airship was boring though. 

Jisung had been hired as an engineer, his basic knowledge only coming from Changbin, and he worked with Jeongin and Chris mostly in the engine room and did not have any opportunity to go take a walk to catch a glimpse of Felix.

The only entertainment they had was evening’s gathering between sailors, where they drunk and played with each other. Even if he stayed by Chris’ side, Jisung slowly comes out of his shell after a few days.

Darts with Changbin were more useful than he ever thought they could ever be and Jisung ended up gaining way more coins than he needed here and a solid reputation.

Although, with every success came its down, and this was no exception.

Jisung was on a roll that night. 

Blouse on a chair next to Jeongin and rolled up sleeves, Jisung’s shirt sticked to his skins but the five darts planted in the tiny circle drawn on the wall wiped away all those minor inconveniences. Chris whooped in the background as Jisung prepared himself for his last dart.

Onlookers hold their breath, the heat of the room almost matched the engine machine’s one. Clouds of smoke stung Jisung’s eyes, and before he could think too much about it, he threw.

“Bullseye!” 

Jisung felt himself pull into a hug and was crushed against a yelling Chris, the information barely processing. The adrenaline of victory and competition still running throughout him, Jisung let himself get dragged into a small dance with his friend, laughing carefree. 

It took a good ten minutes for the euphoria to calm down, and only in the cost of Jeongin who accepted to treat Jisung a drink. Two round later, Chris was half-asleep, his head between his arms, tired from the day and the meter of shot he just necked, as Jeongin and Jisung continued talking.

“You’re so skilled, maybe you could teach me?” exclaimed Jeongin, his cheeks redder than usual and three empty glasses in front of him.

“Yes sure, I—”

“‘M sure he’s cheating, ” muttered someone behind them, loud enough for Jisung to hear. The silence that fell after was heavy, for both Jisung and the person who spoke. Turning around, Jisung’s eyes found a guy’s one — Isaac from what he remembers— who immediately threw his hand up in a sky as the whole room’s attention shifted to him. “I’m saying, there’s no way he straight up did 6 bullseyes in a row! Motherfucker is either a wizard or a cheater and—” he looked at Jisung up and down— “I have my idea on which one it is.”

“Try saying that to my face asshole.”

Surprised, Jisung looked at Chris, his curls disheveled from being previously slushed over the table, and looking a bit murderous.

“Wow, calm down, admit it’s weird he’s scored bullseye back to back,” Isaac smirked, and Jisung felt like the conversation was about to get very wrong for everyone involved. “I touched a sensitive subject?”

“If you can’t lose then don’t play, mate,” the nickname had never sounded so threatening coming from Chris. “Now fuck off until you stop being a whiny bitch, ok?”

“C’mon, Chris, let’s go it’s not worth it.”

About to protest, the hand of Jeongin on his arms was enough to make Chris step back from throwing himself at Isaac. Before he could change minds, Jisung took his other hand at swiftly guided him out of the room.

Jisung’s dorm was not in the same hallway as them but he had insisted to accompany them to theirs. The oblivious tension in Chris’ body made the air a bit more uncomfortable than it usually was.

They did not stop Jeongin after he yawned for the fifth time in 2 minutes but Chris did not follow him immediately.

“I’m sorry about what happened, I’m not that good with confrontation…”

“It’s ok Pete, don’t hesitate to come to me if he ever pulls shit like that again—” Chris opened the door and paused for a bit before entering, looking dead into Jisung’s eyes. “And don’t let anyone talk to you like that ever again, ok bud?”

A weird lump at the back of his throat forming, Jisung nodded at Chris who let his serious mask fall to let his dimples appear.

“Goodnight Pete, you did well today.”

Unfortunately, Jisung didn’t succeed to find sleep that night. 

Actually, he hasn’t slept well or at all since the Grand Disappearance. The name was way better than what he was feeling but he had thought even if it was like his whole world was crashing down, he could have a kick-ass name for it. Like in movies. Felix liked films. They didn’t have access to it regularly but when they came across a dimension in which it was accessible, somehow or another, they would watch as much as they could.

Jisung had particularly liked a thing from one planet with a story with wings and fallen empire and way too many weird weapons and sex scenes. He learned after that it was a documentary and haven’t watched it again since.

A snore from the guy in the top bunk brought Jisung back to reality. He had gone out of track and times were running. What if Felix had already left? Jisung could felt himself break in cold sweats. He wasn’t sure if he could handle another defeat.

As quietly as he could manage (not a lot), Jisung got out of his bed, put on his socks and cursed the door for squealing so loudly at such an unholy hour.

Hallways were as empty as he expected them to be at this hour, only the muffled sound of the machinery and some snoring could be heard. The officers’ wing on the second floor made it almost impossible for anyone to get to it without passing through the stairs, which were constantly guarded.

The good thing about being around so many people all day long, was that no one truly cared about who heard them after some time. So, when Jisung overheard about a ‘secret entrance that allowed the boy to go steal some rings in the rude officer’s room’, he carefully put it on a recess of his mind.

Now was the time to use it and hope no one had sudden insomnia. 

Jisung skittered through the corridor, wincing when his heel hit the floor a bit too hard. From what he understood the ‘secret door’ actually gave access to outside stairs, usually used to clean the exterior of the plane. It would be really inconvenient to fall but not deadly, so Jisung was willing to take the risk. Turning around the corner of a hallway, Jisung paused for a few seconds to look at his surroundings. 

He did not expect to meet the eyes of Chris.

“Peter? What are you doing here?”

_Searching for my on-the-run time Voyager soulmate and you?_

Containing his panic and ignoring his forming stomachache, Jisung’s brain overheated to find valid excuses.

In the dark, hiding behind Chris’ broad shoulders, a silhouette moved with a crumpling noise. Coming out of nowhere, a hand took Chris’ one, thin and damaged by the work as all the hand around there were. But the ring with a blue stone made it unmistakable for Jisung. 

“Jeongin? Are you ok?”

It was the wrong thing to say apparently, as Jeongin jumped from behind Chris and let the sheet he was holding fall for Jisung to see. Both Chris and Jeongin reached for the fabric but it was too late.

He didn’t want to assume anything, but Jisung had to deal with enough trash duty at home to know what the bloodstains on the white sheets meant — and Jeongin did not seem injured or Chris would be way more worried. Jisung’s mama was never silent about any kind of problem she encountered and periods pain didn’t escape the list of things she complained —quite loudly— about. Thank god for Mom who always listened to her with a kind smile and kissed her cheek after she ranted for ten minutes straight. Apparently, it was something even other dimensions had.

“Oooh ok,” said Jisung and Chris had his jaw clenched so hard it hurt to see. A bit worried, Jisung looked at both of them warily to finally set his eyes on Jeongin, who had started shaking slightly. He was in pain probably and Jisung felt himself frowning. “You’re feeling fine? Got everything? I think I have pain killers back in my room if you want.”

“You’re not… Going to tell anything to the superiors? About me being in boys dorm?” Jeongin looked younger than he had ever been, in the middle of this empty hallway, hiding behind Chris and hugging his sheets onto his chest. Sometimes, Jisung wondered if this world didn’t make Jeongin grow too fast.

“You’re a boy and you’re in boys dorm, where are you supposed to go otherwise?”

“I genuinely can’t tell if you’re fucking with me or not…”

“Why would I?” Jisung was starting to get frustrated, he just wanted the discussion and Jeongin’s discomfort to be over. Soon, it would be too late to even try sneaking into the Officer’s wing. He sighed. “I miss Sigan, everything’s not as complicated as everyone makes it here…”

“Well, Isaac—”

“I thought we had all agree on the fact that Isaac’s opinions and entire person sucked really really hard?”

Chris, who had not spoken a word after Jisung’s discovery, finally cleared his throat. “Do you want to come with us to the laundry?”

Unmistakably, it was a test. Either Jisung chose to stay and miss the opportunity of finding Felix or he left and —probably— lost his friendship with Chris and Jeongin. It took only a heartbeat for him to decide.

“Sure, lead the way.”

Chris smiled.

Slouched against a washing machine, the three boys in the room were all at a different state of fatigue. They needed not only to wash the sheets but also get a new one but taking into account it was obvious they wouldn’t go back to their bed for tonight, it wasn’t that much of an urgent matter. 

Chris was the designated pillow, Jeongin laying on his laps and Jisung’s head on his shoulder but he had made no move to tell it was bothering him so far.

“Ugh, still can’t believe you found out and reacted like that...” Jeongin groaned, his cheeks squished against Chris’ thigh.

“I can tell you a secret if you want,” said Jisung casually. The atmosphere felt like one of the sleepovers he would have with Minho and Felix back home. Except they were all legal adults and he only knew Chris and Jeongin for a few weeks. “I’ve been chasing after my.. best friend for almost a year now and, yeah, I miss him dearly.”

“Is that this officer you’re obsessed with?” asked Chris, and Jisung felt his heart drop.

“I didn’t realize it was this obvious but indeed.”

“It’s obvious because you jump out of your skin each time he’s mentioned and look like you want to punch every person talking shit about him.” Jeongin sounded annoyed with a tint of excitement which meant nothing good for Felix.

“Of course, when you put it like that.”

Chris stretched, making both the younger groan as they were driven out their made-up bed. It did not stop Chris however and he got up under their shared booing. He rolled his eyes at their antics, putting his hands on his waist. "Isn't my turn to confess something?"

"If you want to, I guess…"

"Oh believe me you want to know," Chris smirked, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "I may or may not have taken a look into your dear officer's schedule."

⧗

_One time, Jisung genuinely thought Felix wouldn’t make it._

_“Fuck,” whispers Felix, ducking behind the huge machine where Jisung is already lying down behind. A bullet flew right where he had been standing a second ago. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”_

_It had been mainly Jisung’s idea to go here. Mainly as in Jisung was bored, and it seemed cool and Felix, like the angel he was, had agreed to make him happy. However, Jisung was starting to seriously regret to have insisted._

_Frenetically searching inside his bag, Felix ends up taking out another gun and a long sword. Without talking, he hands out the sword to Jisung who takes it, making a face. He was not the biggest fan of swords, finding it kind of outdated and barbaric, but it was also the only class he had attended in the self-defense program. So now, Jisung was stuck with a sword, a zweihander he found in a dimension at war and almost taller than him. Swinging at two hands is not ideal but makes him look pretty cool._

_The way better student Felix was, however, could use every weapon existing probably and deck anyone unarmed if he wanted to. People often mistook Felix’s small frame and delicate face for weakness but Jisung could proudly say he knew better._

_“Ok, I think the guards are gone,” whispered Felix. Indeed, the sounds of firing and footsteps had stopped for at least 10 minutes._

_Giving a dirty look at Jisung who accidentally let his sword fell on the floor and make what feel like a thunderous sound, Felix ends up putting a hand over Jisung’s mouth when they heard someone shouting._

_Amused, Jisung wiggles his eyebrows but it does nothing to Felix except an exasperated look. Apparently, he is more pissed off than Jisung initially thought he was._

_Understandable really, Jisung also didn’t want to be running away from this universe’s government. Minho had been the one encouraging Jisung to visit in here, insisting on the fact that they had good food and they could help one or two children escape from the workhouses they were imprisoned in. The good food part had convinced Jisung._

_What Minho had forgotten to mention, however, was the fact all the workhouses were underground. Unable to leap inside, Felix and Jisung had to use all their acting and hiding skills to try to not be killed._

_From Felix’s expression, Minho wasn’t going to have a great time when they come back. If they even managed to come back._

_Tracing little calming circles on Felix’s hips, Jisung tries his best to calm his soulmate. A panic attack is not what they need right now. As he finally catches the nervous eyes of Felix, Jisung smiles against the hand still press on his mouth and kiss it, making Felix jerks his hand off._

_“Hey Pixie, it’s ok, the exit is nearby, stop worrying so much.”_

_The shaky breath Felix let out broke his heart a little but the following caress on his cheek is enough to know. It was going to be ok._

_“I know, I just— Please don’t do anything stupid and I’m the one planning the next outing, it’s not negotiable.”_

_“Anything you want.”_

_Felix grimaces and pushes Jisung’s head away, efficiently stopping him from seeing the heart in his eyes. “Gross.”_

_“You love it,” said Jisung, catching one of his hand and leaves a small kiss on it. The subtle blush was worth it._

_“Whatever.”_

_While they were whispering to each other, it seems like everyone had left the workhouse, certainly thinking all the intruders were already gone._

_Jumping on his feet before Felix could do anything, Jisung gave him a cheeky smile and a helpful hand. Rolling his eyes, Felix still took his hands and was yank into the arms of Jisung._

_“You’re doing it on purpose, aren’t you, darling?”_

_Butterfly in his stomach at the nickname, Jisung smiles widely. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”_

_“Anyway, we don’t have time for that,” Jisung would have begged to differ it’s always time to cuddle but Felix’s shift of expression dissuaded him. “Let’s get out, I don’t like this place.”_

_White hallways empty, Jisung hops and twirls in the middle of it, happy to have finally someplace to breathe; his slight claustrophobia had been temporarily distracted by Felix. More careful, Felix stays close to the walls and glances at the map of the building he had stolen._

_Jisung pulls the map off Felix’s hands. Maps were useless and especially this one, he had already memorized where the exit where. “It’s this way!”_

_“No, it’s not?”_

_“I’m still going this way, my guts tell me so,” tease Jisung to an exasperated Felix._

_“Well, you and your guts are going there alone, because I’m positive it’s not.”_

_Jisung shrugs and walks in the direction he indicated. It was only a question of time before Felix will catch up and whine a little about how he’s a stubborn little shit and they laugh it off after a few beats._

_It was how it was supposed to be._

_“Jisung!”_

_About to turn around with a smug expression, Jisung doesn’t have the time to stop before he’s pushed onto the ground. The gunshot silences him before he could protest and he feels all the blood in his face leaving. The sound of another shot and body falling on the ground echoes in the hallway but Felix was still standing in front of Jisung._

_What did he say? Felix is probably superhuman._

_When his chest wasn’t about to implode anymore and the air is actually going into his lungs, Jisung scrambles on his feet and picks up his sword where it had fell, few meters away from him._

_“That was a close call, lucky you’re so reactive, I don’t know what I would do without you—” His words died as he looked at Felix._

_“Why are you looking at me like that?” Blooming on Felix’s side, a lethal rose, as red as their sun._

_Following the petrified gaze of his partner, Felix’s mouth makes an ‘o’ at the sigh of the blood soaking his shirt. With a hesitant hand, he reaches for the spot and hum as the liquid stain his fingers, the realization slowly dawning on him. Meeting Jisung’s wide eyes and frozen state, Felix smiles softly. “Ah… Don’t make this face, Sungie, it’s ok, I don’t feel any pain?”_

_And then, he falls._

_Like a rag doll, his body gives up on him and Felix collapses on the floor, the soft sound being the only clue that this was really happening and not a hallucination straight out of Jisung’s brain and anxiety._

_His body reacts before his brain, and Jisung rush and almost throws himself at the almost-unconscious body of Felix. His face is too pale and his breathing too rough._

_Tearing apart the side of his shirt, Jisung’s full view of Felix’s wounds didn’t make him feel any better. He definitely could not treat it right now, and moving him meant the possibility of it getting even worse. With the piece of fabric of what was previously his shirt, Jisung wraps it carefully around Felix’s waist, trying to minimize the damage._

_“Sungie,” says Felix in a hoarse voice, snapping Jisung out his scheming to get Felix back safely and fast. “You’re not hurt right?”_

_Angry. Jisung was angry. Jisung was angry and scared because Felix was dying and he wasn’t thinking about himself. He tries to calm down, taking a shaky breath on. There was no need to yell at Felix, it wasn’t the time. “What are you talking about? You’re the one bleeding here, Pixie, I’m fine,” his voice is so soft than even in the empty hallway, Felix is the only one who can hear it._

_“I’m glad.”_

_Felix beams and Jisung breaks._

_“No no no, stay with me, stay with me,” Jisung’s pleas were choking him, and Felix’s eyes slowly flutter, as if he wants to go to sleep but Jisung had the bad intuitive feeling that he wouldn’t wake up from that sleep._

_Life was leaving Felix with each breath he still was able to take and Jisung is doing nothing about it. Cold sweat breaking, Jisung tries not to let the thought of losing Felix overwhelms him, but with little success._

_With the little strength he still had, Jisung puts Felix on his back and, squeezing his thigh more than necessary, runs toward where he knew was the Ferryman’s den. During his run, Jisung blacked out and he finds himself suddenly yelling at a puzzled but straight-faced Ferryman who takes one look at the lifeless form of Felix on his back and nods. Jisung didn’t hesitate one minute before rushing into the door he opens for them._

_Breathing only became less hard for Jisung when his Mama’s arms wrapped around him, calming the panic attack he was having for the past 3 hours._

_However, the vision of Felix lying on his bed, pale as death and motionless, haunted Jisung’s nightmare for a while after that._

⧗

“I’m not so sure if it’s a good idea anymore…”

Jeongin and Chris widened their eyes at Jisung, who was nervously fiddling with his watch. The silence stretched until, putting down the wrench on the pipe he was working on, Chris got up to sponge down his sweaty face. His white tank top had lost his original color to the brown petrol stains and Jisung could see his every muscle moving clearly under the thin material. If Jisung’s heart wasn’t already taken, he was sure he would have the biggest crush on Chris.

Actually, maybe he did have a little one nonetheless.

“What the hell are you talking about, Pete?” sighed Chris, throwing the towel on top of his weaver.

Jeongin nodded from behind Chris, nonchalantly leaned against the machine. He had tied the sleeves of his overalls around his waist, making the bandages around his chest out for everyone to see. They were alone in the engine room but Jisung couldn’t help but have a shot of anxiety at the thought of someone coming to check on them and discovering both Jeongin’s secret now that he understood the consequences of it — and also the fact they were literally conspiring against the authority on board.

Jisung had a lot of ideas in his life and put into practice most of them and what he learned from it was, messing with higher hierarchy never ended as well as he wished it did. Honestly, it wasn’t as much of a problem as he sounded right now but the thing was, he was not alone anymore; Felix had always put up with his sketchy plan because he knew there wouldn’t be any long-time repercussions except a potential fright for Jisung and him.

But now, here, Chris and Jeongin were Remainers — real people, living permanently in this world and could not just hop into the void and expect to find themselves somewhere else, far away from troubles. No, they were stuck here with the consequences of their actions. And it terrified Jisung.

Chris must have sensed Jisung’s nervous energy and waved at him to come closer. Once he was at arm-reach, Chris grabbed him and hold him in a rock-solid arm wrench, while Jeongin laughed hysterically in the background. 

Dizzy after the intense hair-ruffle he had gone through, Jisung stumbled into the arm of an awaiting Jeongin, who was still giggling and patted his head to tame the nest that had formed on it.

“Stop worrying bud, it’s gonna be ok, you’re with me!” said Chris, putting a dramatic hand on his chest.

“Why are you trying to freak him out more than he already is?”

The sulky ‘hey’ of Chris was tactically ignored by Jeongin whose sharp eyes were observing Jisung.

“What’s bothering you so much suddenly? You’re the one we’re doing this for, you know?”

Exactly.

They’ve been planning their trips for days now. In the cafeteria, late at night, in the engine room, whenever they can, their outing was slowly starting to come together. Even when being careful, keeping secrets had been proven to be difficult here and this did not escape the rule.

Jisung had felt like throwing up each time the other guys even came a little too close for his liking — it was unlikely for the superior officer to get wind of their little affair, but not impossible.

Chris slapped a pipe, making a startling sound and Jisung almost yelled of surprise. “Let’s finish here for today, ok guys?”

Jeongin was already in the middle of the stair before he could end his sentence.

Emerging back from the stifling heat, they could immediately tell something wasn’t right. The first hint was the lack of noise, and the few people passing by looked too pressed to be stopped. Jeongin grabbed Chris’ sleeves and in silent general consensus, they decided to get back to their dorms.

A soldier in fancy uniform stopped them at an angle of the corridor. Behind him, they could see men in suits and monocles were talking with some guy with grease on his cheeks and still in work uniform. 

The situation was getting weirder and weirder and none of them liked that. What were men in suits doing in their filthy quarters? Before they could’ve been asked to talk to those men, they scurried away to another hallway.

Something seriously wrong was happening and Jisung did not like where this was going. It was like all his concerns came to life to spite him. Judging they were far enough from the soldiers, Jisung held Chris back by his suspenders, making him stop. If Jeongin had trained himself at controlling his body and emotion, the only sign of his trouble being the uneven tap of his fingers on his cheeks, Chris was an open book.

“God’s sake, why now…” muttered Chris, aggressively running his hands through his hair. 

Anxiety rose in Jisung as his usually composed friend slowly lost his mind in front of him. Everything was supposed to happen tonight. Jisung was about to put an end to it, too bad for today but he could not let them take so many risks now that superior had their eyes on them. It was plain stupid to try at this point.

They did not see the boy leaning on the wall until the smoke he was blowing came between them. The blue uniform he was wearing made them calm down a bit and Chris immediately called him out.

“Hey, the fuck is going on?”

“Didn’t you guys heard? Someone snitched and now the ‘secret door’ is definitely closed and there are soldiers everywhere,” the boy blew his smoke on their faces, making Jisung cough. “They’re pissed off, it’s kind of fun to watch.”

“Fucking hell.”

Jisung caught the smug look on Isaac’s face from the other side of the hallway before Chris could. Putting two and two together, it should not have been that much of a surprise for Jisung but it did not help the anger go down whatsoever.

He did not despise a lot of people in his life but Jisung would not mind seeing Isaac fell down the airship in all his mortality.

Before Jisung could go down more on the path of morbid thoughts, Chris was crossing the hallway, too fast for any of them to stop him. Isaac fell in the ground with a bloody nose and scrambled on his feet to run away. Turns out the satisfaction of seeing him decked wasn’t as great as Jisung thought. Still somewhat pleasant though.

Knuckles more bruised than when he left, Chris returned to them only to see the smoking boy was gone. He groaned, leaning on the wall.

“It’s impossible to access the depot now, fuck…”

Jeongin straightened up. “Follow me, I know what to do.”

They did not have time to say anything as Jeongin was already running. Having no choice but follow him, Jisung and Chris make their best to not bump into one of the soldiers patrolling and not lost the sigh of Jeongin. 

They failed miserably and when they finally caught up on him, Jeongin was facing the entrance to the officers’ wing. That fact would not be so terrifying if a 6 feet tall man with a gun wasn’t currently looking down at their friend like he was a mosquito. Jisung felt his heart stop for a moment. 

“How much to let us go in?” asked Jeongin, looking up to the soldier who raised an eyebrow at them. 

Jisung mentally prepared himself for protecting Jeongin from this mass of muscles, mostly by sacrificing his body. But the soldier only looked around before lazily scratching his cheek. 

“I don’t know, what do you have?”

“I’ll give you my ring,” said Jeongin, and it took a lot for Jisung not to yell at him. Chris didn’t look better but he was the one putting a hand on Jisung’s back to make sure he wouldn’t do anything stupid. The soldier might look cooperative but could very well denounce them to the superior authority whenever he wanted. “It’s a blue garnet, I got it from my mother, it’s a real gem.”

The soldier took the ring into his chubby finger, examined it and finally made a fist around it, putting it in his pocket. Jeongin looked close to tear but kept his head high during the whole process. “Go in, you never saw or talked to me, ok?”

Jeongin did not waste time to grab both Jisung and Chan’s hand and bolt off toward where they knew the unused depot was. The Keeper must have been taking pity of them because they did not meet anyone on their way and the depot was as empty as they get. 

Spider webs and rusty door aside, everything looked clean. Not wasting any time, they got the tarpaulin off to reveal the plane underneath. It was an old thing, judged too obsolete for patrols but functional enough for not to be thrown in the garbage. It was perfect for them.

Chris gasped excitedly and jumped in the cockpit to bring it back to life. While Chris was happily playing with his new toy, Jeongin had got to a remote with a bunch of mysterious buttons on it. After a few tries, the giant gate leading to outside opened.

During this time, it seemed like Chris had gotten a grasp on how the plane worked and Jisung hesitated a bit before joining him. He took Jeongin’s hand carefully, making him look up from the board.

“Innie, your ring—”

“It’s ok, I’ll get it back at a game of darts,” Even if his smile was as big as ever, Jeongin’s eyes never lied. “Come back alive to teach me your techniques so I can be unbeatable, yeah?”

“Peter, get in the fucking thing or we’ll never catch your boy,” yelled Chan from inside the plane, and Jisung pulled Jeongin into a quick hug before hopping on board. He tried to not think about the fear in his friend’s eyes as he watched Chris fumble with the instrument panel.

After a few attempts and a lot of curses, the plane started moving slowly toward the wide-open entrance. In a box on his feet, Jisung found two aviators goggles, old but still usable and handed it to Chris as he himself put it on. The wind was already strong enough to knock down a pile of heavy boxes, he did not want to imagine what was going to happen in the air.

“Fuck it’s been so long,” mumbled Chris and he pulled a lever on his side.

Jisung gripped his seat as the plane made a weird booming noise and started trembling ominously. Great Keepers, he didn’t live this long just to crash on a shitty airplane. Drops of sweat ran on Chris’ temples as he jerked the control stick toward him. The wheels of the plane finally left the ground and Jisung hiccuped of terror. “Don’t make us crash or Jeongin will kill you.”

Chris blanched at the thought of an angry Jeongin but had no time to dwell on it. The safe ground of the airship’s garage moved on for the void of the infinity of the sky to appear beneath them and it was now too late to go back.

Reaching the same last conclusion as Jisung, Chris and him shared a glance. Nerves breaking, Chris’ shoulders shook a little before they both burst out of laughter. 

They did it.

The insanity of the situation was too much, and they continued to laugh even as the plane let out a puff and grey smoke invaded their vision for a moment — Chris took the control back quickly before they could do any more damage to the piece of junk that allowed them to fly for now.

The route officers took usually only consisted of flying around the airship, alone or in a group, to verify if nothing was out of the ordinary and then come back to the shed. Mostly, it meant they shouldn’t have too much trouble to find him.

They have been in the air, for now, twenty minutes when they saw the first plane. Chris made them go hide in the cloud. Two mechanics in a swaying old craft was not the best situation to be caught in.

It seemed as it was an individual patrol piloted by a man with a mustache and except if Felix had grown one during their last encounter, it was not him. Deciding it was better for them to stay in the fog, even though it was really cold and absolutely did not think this through.

Thankfully, it did not last. They just took off more when some grey smoke mixed in arabesque with the white mist appeared in their field of vision. Someone was having some problems.

They exchanged a look before agreeing to at least see if it was not too critical. From the above, the situation looked bad. A wing had taken fire and heavy smoke was spiraling in the air. The pilot had gone out of his cockpit and ripped himself from the characteristic officer’s uniform, leaving him in a white shirt covered in oil now.

It only took a glimpse of the pilot’s face in the middle of the smoke for Jisung to brighten. 

Here he was.

“I found you!”

Felix quickly lifted his head to where Jisung’s blinding and almost mad smile was awaiting him. His expression fell as Jisung continued his antics and was now frantically waving at him, almost putting his whole body out of the shaky plane. Next to him, Chris cursed and desperately tried to stabilize the poor engine.

Abandoning his still smoking and fiery wing, Felix slid inside his plane and with a sputtering motor, his plane started going up. Jisung’s yells were lost in the racket but it did not stop him from trying. 

For a moment, nothing happened. The plane had disappeared on the sea of clouds above them, the hum of the motor was the only sign the world hasn’t stopped for a moment.

Then, a cry ripped the air and sky.

Accompanied by trails of white, a body passed through the blanket of clouds, dark stain onto the pale colors. Coat and hair flapping around him, Felix looked peaceful. Eyes closed and a hand reaching for nothing, completely embracing the air around him; it was one of his habits Jisung had never understood, waiting the last moment to leap.

As suddenly as he appeared, Felix disappeared behind the fog. For a split second, before he vanished, Jisung met an amber gaze, dilated and intense. He felt himself shiver and tried to look overboard to follow the rest of Felix’s dive, but Chris held him back by the shirt before he could fall overboard.

Honestly, Jisung knew Felix was going to be pissed at him. Forced to ‘die’ here when it was one of his favorite dimension, Jisung couldn’t help but be a bit proud of the thought of a pissed-off Felix. A shift in perspective from time to time didn’t hurt. Plus, by the reputation Felix already had here, Jisung was sure he was able to come back from it with sweet white lies.

Numb, the return to the base was spent in silence and memory of fiery eyes.

“I’m so sorry about that,” was the first thing Chris said when their feet found the ground again. He looked so genuinely distressed that Jisung couldn’t help but giggle.

Taking Chris’ jaw into his hands, Jisung looked deep into his friend’s eyes, which looked a bit more glassy than usual. Chris was truly too kind for his own good. “It’s fine, you did your best.”

It was slightly bittersweet, to know if Jisung was from here, this dimension, his life would have been so different. Maybe with Chris. Maybe with Jeongin. 

A few weeks after the incident, the airship decided to take a rest in a port. After begging the Ferryman for some extra-money and putting them in an envelope for Chris and Jeongin to find, Jisung left in the middle of the night.

Everything would be over soon.

☉⧗☉

_go to see an old friend._

“Thanks for letting me stay, I really appreciate it.”

“No problems at all! The pleasure all mine, it’s been ages since we saw each other.”

Guilt started creeping in as Minho shouted to get the attention of the bartender, who although had ten more arms than them, seemed a bit overwhelmed by the demand. But Minho was a force to be reckoned with and soon, Jisung sighed as Minho slammed the greenish green he ordered in front of him. 

“I'm sorry, it's kind of my fault…”

Minho's smile softened and he gently patted Jisung's head. "Don't worry, I know what is going on with Felix."

Jisung snapped his head at him. Apart from his family and Felix’s one, he was pretty sure not a soul knew. Hopeful, he leaned quickly toward him, knocking a bunch of mini pies on the ground with his elbow, “what? Did you talk to him?”

Flustered at Jisung’s outburst, Minho blinked slowly at him before laughing. “No, sorry, I just got a hold on my dad and he told me about the situation.”

It was to be expected but Jisung still felt disappointed. He chugged the green drink and regretted it immediately, ate the rest of the mini pies and regretted even more.

The bar was too noisy for them to have a proper conversation, a couple of musicians had started to play a strident rendition of popular songs of a few lunar circles back. Jisung deeply hated it therefore Minho asked them to play louder.

After battling with a blob playing the harpsichord to make it stop, and drunker than he should be, Jisung came back to a smug and laughing Minho.

“I haven’t seen him but where’s the famous Jungkook?” asked Jisung, trying to divert the attention from the fact he had been publicly humiliated by the equivalent of a living flan.

“Ah, right,” Minho lost his self-satisfied attitude for a bitter smile. “We actually broke up like, a few months back and I haven’t had the occasion to told you so…”

The only thing Jisung knew about Minho’s (ex) lover was he had been putting up with his friend’s bullshit, had not let him get killed and Minho had never been so happy. But if Jisung had learned anything is that being happy together sometimes was not enough.

“Well, I’m sure you had your reasons! Don’t worry there’s plenty of fields to scythe!” said Jisung, and grabbed another glass. Minho pinched his cheeks and took the drink back— for the better probably.

“Ok, J.One.”

“Stop with that, it’s been years and I was… younger and stupid,” whined Jisung, wincing at his old alias. Finding names to blend in some dimension wasn’t easy in his defense, especially when you’re young, a brat, and think the world is yours. 

“Felix still thinks it’s cool.”

A few months back, Jisung would have snapped at Minho with a sharp ‘well, he’s not there’. This time, instead, drunk and still warm from getting back with one of his best friends, he smiled softly. “He really does, uh.”

“Great Keeper helps me, you’re so whipped, I need more drinks than I initially thought I would.”

“Did you, like, heard anything about him? Not from your dad I mean.”

“Actually…” Minho trained the word and glanced warily at the dozen-arm bartender. “I think I did but I also don’t think you’re going to like it.”

“I didn’t like what had been happening 70% of the time for the last almost year, so whatever,” said Jisung, trying to sound casual but feeling his heart jump in his chest.

“Not here.”

Slapping a few coins on the table, Minho got up and slipped on his long coat and did not even look behind me to check if Jisung was following him as he headed for the exit.

The hallway leading to the exit was badly lit but Minho still stopped to open a door Jisung didn’t even notice.

“C’mon, you can go out like that, you’re going to get arrested,” said Minho quietly, pulling a small case from the inside of his coat.

Jisung scrunched his nose but let Minho do his thing. With red paint Minho drew little triangles under Jisung’s eyes and mouth, flicking gently Jisung’s forehead when he tried to bite his fingers off.

Finally, the lens of the same color of his triangles and hood meticulously put on his hair, Minho judged him fit to hit the street without being thrown on the Consul’s jails.

The streets were still decently crowded when Minho pushed Jisung outside, so no one really paid attention to the two silhouettes getting out the wall. Both of them were decent actors but it would certainly be difficult to explain to the government soldiers were did they came from — underground bar not being a satisfying answer.

Thankfully, Minho’s disguise as one of the lower classes on the planet was perfect and they got out the main street without any problem and reached Minho’s house in no time. It was almost too easy, but Jisung tried not to overthink it, grabbing the back of Minho’s coat when they passed in front of a bunch of soldiers who settled on only catcalling them. Jisung did not want to pick up one’s brain from the floor today so he squeezed Minho’s shoulder to keep him going.

The only main issue they encountered was to open Minho’s door, as it seems something was blocking it from inside. But Minho’s current housing was exactly like the one he had back home. In simple terms, messily organized.

Cringing at the flashback of his first room at Changbin, Jisung avoided barely a dangling solar system. Unbothered, Minho let himself fall on a velvet chair on the corner, throwing his coat on the room. Nevermind about being ‘messily organized’ part, Minho was just messy.

Jisung seated on the bed, facing his friend and observed the reproduction of the universe Minho had made on the ceiling and walls, some names written next to the planets. He was about to ask about the difference between the red and green planet when Minho drew his attention.

“So, as you may know, I am against any kind of oppression and so decided to rejoin the rebellion,” said Minho, absentmindedly looking at his nails.

Jisung almost choked on air.

“I hate that I know better than asking if you’re joking or not…” Inside, he really hoped he did. He didn’t even want to imagine the number of Voyager’s rules Minho just broke. Probably enough to make Felix pass out.

“Ok, I was lying—” Jisung sighed of relief— “I didn’t just join because I hate inequality but also because your boy decided to put himself in deep shit.”

The bed made Jisung slightly bounce as he let himself fall on his back.

“Great Keeper, I hate you guys so much.”

⧗

The brotherhood was unexpectedly easy to find. 

Without bragging, Jisung was almost disappointed by the smooth proceeding of his quest to find this oh so secret society. From the plan and long, intricate explications of Minho, Jisung had prepared himself for the worth and even found — only to be asked to promise in front of a bunch of old-looking being to not talk about the society to anyone.

Disappointing, really. Also, he found the headquarter lame and did not hesitate to tell it to Minho and pretty much everyone at an earshot.

Someone had decided that a reception was greatly needed before the meeting that would discuss their next plan - at Jisung’s distress. Stuck in what was supposed to be semi-formal clothes, Jisung was only allowed to keep his sword with him and was not particularly happy about it.

Minho looked great, all black and leather, smiling at everyone, making conversation and allies while Jisung sulked at his side.

“This whole thing is so stupid, why can’t we just get done with the meeting already…” asked Jisung, as Minho had decided to take a break from people and they were now alone.

“Minho?”

Something in Minho’s eyes dimmed as the voice resonated behind him. From where he was, Jisung could see the man standing there, tall and if Jisung immediately recognized Hyunjin’s posture as one of grace when he first saw him, he could tell this man was a soldier. Though, what really caught Jisung’s attention was the blazon on his cape. A bear. Jisung hasn’t been around the rebellion so much, but he knew what the bear meant and that Minho was probably in big trouble.

With a crisped smile, Minho slowly turned around and folded his arms across his chest.

“Hello, Jungkook.”

Jisung choked. Even if Jungkook could be a popular name here, the reaction of Minho said everything. When he had first talked about his lover from another dimension, Minho did not particularly clarify he was basically a war criminal here.

“You didn’t tell me your ex was one of the leaders of the rebellion,” said Jisung through gritted teeth, still trying to keep up a smile.

“Believe me, I’m at least as displeased to meet him here as you are right now,” muttered Minho, his eyes never leaving the man in front of them, who had a hard time keeping his composure — obviously disturbed by the presence of Minho in the planet itself. “Well that was nice meeting you, see you at the meeting!” Seeing the face of Jungkook fall as Minho moved to leave caught Jisung’s attention.

Oh?

“You’re not even presenting me your friend?” It was a clear and desperate attempt at keeping Minho’s attention, but none of them could find themselves to care.

Before Minho could say anything, Jisung stepped out, doing an over-the-top low bow. “J.One, at your service.”

Minho immediately pulled him at his side, gripping his waist in an ominous way, which did not stop Jisung from giggling. To be fair, he was ticklish and it was too fun to see the reaction of Jungkook, that was looking like he ate something sour. “Oh, I didn’t know you…”

It took half a second for Jisung and Minho to look at each other and understand the implication. With a large grin, Jisung leaned further on Minho, putting his arm around his neck, almost purring as Minho let his hand fall on the small of his back. Fucking with Minho’s ex was one of Jisung’s small pleasures in life, especially when they got so riled up and was treating them so rudely.

“Life is weird like that.”

“Listen, Minho—”

“Nope and don’t call me by my name here. It’s Lino for you,” concluded Minho, turning his back and guiding Jisung in the direction of a gathering of formal-looking aliens.

Once they were out of sight, Jisung didn’t wait for getting into Minho’s face.

“That went well!” What he thought was going a painfully awkward meeting between two exes transformed into a painfully awkward meeting between two exes where he could have fun. A pleasing turn of events by all means.

“Great Keeper, how did I forgot how annoying you can be…”

“Well if you told me who exactly Jungkook was, I could’ve improvised something better than the clingy boyfriend,” pouted Jisung, catching a blueish muffin-looking thing on a tray held by a robot.

A few drinks and muffins later, Jisung had lost Minho to the crowd. He didn’t mind at first, no one was interacting with him and he was happily eating on his own — the best kind of party.

But after they announced the meeting in ten and Minho was nowhere to be seen, Jisung started to stress a bit. Everything had gone so smoothly up to this point, he could not let him down now, right?

Escaping discreetly from the hall and the inquisitive eyes of the leaders, Jisung did not have to take two steps outside the room before finding his friend. He was about to run and jump on his back but he sidetracked to hop behind a giant plant when he was who he was with.

Towering over Minho, Jungkook still looked small.

Jisung did not have great experiences with eavesdropping. But the universe had different plans for him as he did not feel like interrupting one of his best friends and ex in a conversation.

“What are you doing here?” 

“I’m not trying to meddle into your little schemes, don’t worry.” The soft voice of Minho sounded sharp and Jisung felt himself becoming nervous. It wasn’t going to end up well, he could feel it.

“I don’t care about that, Minho, it’s too dangerous for you.”

“You think I can’t defend myself?” 

“That’s not—”

And that was Jisung’s cue to enter. Bursting in between them, Jisung threw himself at Minho, who caught him, not batting an eye. “Min, I’m bored!”

“You’re a big baby, that’s what you are,” sighed Minho, messing Jisung’s hair.

Jisung’s arms tightened on Minho’s waist when Jungkook's eyes lingered on their position a bit too long. It was all fun and game until Jisung felt Minho sincerely uncomfortable and wanting out.

This time, it was Jungkook who left first, his cape slapping the air behind him.

“Tell me if he makes you feel bad, I heard 'accidents' were common onboard,” murmured Jisung, watching the last of the dark fabric disappear inside the room. 

“Don’t worry little one, I’m fine.” Minho’s fingers did not stop playing with his hair and Jisung felt himself relax into the touch, putting his head flat on Minho’s chest.

It was time to go, but Jisung couldn’t bring himself to stop their embrace. Minho felt like home and everything he had been missing.

The steady beats of Minho’s heart under his ear slowly started to match his one, like when they were children and would make a puppy pile with Felix and Minho beneath the hills and then nap, even though their parents told them not to. Comforting sound aside, Jisung was pleased to hear the pace of his friend’s heartbeat calm down.

Softly pulling the back of his hair, Minho pulled Jisung out - not without whining - so they can finally go back to where they went for.

The meeting had already begun, but not for long enough for anyone to have said anything interesting. Even if they sat at the back, it did not stop Jungkook, in the middle of the rest of the leaders, from staring right at them. Minho squirmed uncomfortably but smiled reassuringly at Jisung’s worried gaze.

Jisung blanked out for half the time a creature that was probably more than a thousand years old was talking. Saving the galaxy from a dictatorial system sounded tiring. 

Contrary to Jisung, Minho was very invested in the conversation, his eyes shifting from one orator to another, like a cat chasing his prey. Every tentative to distract him failed and Jisung abandoned after the paper pellet he throws lent on the hat of the person sitting two rows next to them.

Jisung was almost sleeping when the lights that had been off to present some kind of hologram were turned on again, blinding him briefly. When his vision got clear again, a giant portrait of Felix was displayed instead of the hologram. It was so realist Jisung had to rub his eyes to make sure he was not really sleeping.

It was not his version of Felix, as the small text underneath the bust of Felix was showing the name of Yongbok, his lavender hair was pushed back to show his makeup - making him almost unrecognizable - but it didn’t stop Jisung for longing for him even more.

Hologram Felix winked at him and he felt himself become weak. Oh well.

A leader got up to go next to the bust and cleared his throat. “So, as you all may already know, Yongbok is no longer with us,”

“Why do they sound like he died?” said Jisung, petty. One of the leaders looked at him, annoyed, and Minho nudged him hard enough to leave a bruise.

“Please keep your voice down or shut up.”

“However, he got the plans of the base he’s being kept in before he got caught,” carried the leader on. The bust of Felix disappeared to make place to a reproduction of a planet, then zooming to a fortress and its inside. It was huge, even miniaturized. “From our calculation, we should be able to get there in 2 weeks, minimum.”

Jisung’s chair hit the ground before they could add anything. “Wait, you mean that Fe— Yongbok is going to be stuck there for at least two more weeks?”

“Yes, I don’t think we have enough troops as of right now to successfully direct the attack,” they said calmly, giving him a pointed look like he was a child. “He isn’t going to die, give Yongbok some credit.”

A hand on his knee stopped Jisung from jumping over the table and knock that condescending look out of their face.

“So we’re not going to do anything?”

“Exactly. You had sworn allegiance to the brotherhood, young man. Community over individuality.”

“Jis— J.One, Where are you going?” hissed Minho, looking nervously between the entire brotherhood and Jisung who was sliding his sword back into its cover on his back. 

Unbothered, Jisung shrugged. “Where I should have been from the beginning of this useless discussion. To Felix.”

The familiar weight of his zweihander on his back and the thoughts of Felix’s smile in his head, Jisung stepped outside the room.

The chaos that exploded behind him was none of his business anymore.

⧗

_Some days, Felix and Jisung are just too tired to do anything._

_Today is a good example of that. Both of Jisung’s moms are out and have left the house for Jisung and his loneliness to rest. One thing leading to another, Felix quickly joined him with his usual amount of sunshine and homemade cookies._

_“If you mix it, maybe it won’t look as bad?”_

_“Pixie, I think you’re drunk,” chuckles Jisung, putting down his irremediably ruined mixture of chocolate and milk. It’s the result of a small Felix’s whine about his sweet craving and Jisung’s sudden reminder of all the chocolate he had left into their pantry. Needless, to say it was a bitter failure, even with both of their skills combined._

_Felix pouts but doesn’t answer. The three bottles of transparent-rosy alcohol open behind him and the flush on his cheeks too telling for him to claim to be in a perfectly sober condition. A half-full glass of the alcohol in hand, Felix hadn’t made a move to stop any time soon yet and Jisung was too amused to stop him._

_Jisung had been drinking too but stopped as soon as he saw Felix filling himself a third glass, deciding at least one of them should be conscious enough to make decent decisions._

_Like deciding that the mixture was definitely going to give them food poisoning and he did not wish to spend the rest of the evening in the bathroom. As Felix chuck down his glass, Jisung discreetly put his creation down in the trash. Two saved liver, two._

_“Let’s dance!” said Felix, getting up too abruptly and stumbles into Jisung’s arms._

_“What are you talking about?”_

_Jisung’s laugh is sincere but tinted with worries. Being a poor dancer wasn’t a life-threatening flaw but it might be as well when Felix is your best friend. During all the Keeper’s ceremonies, Felix filled the center place, all grace and passion. Jisung liked cheering better than joining him. The situation reversed when it came to Jisung playing his lute, the though of Felix watching him in the crowd or alone in his room was always enough for him to go all out._

_Unfortunately, playing an instrument was a lonelier activity than dancing and therefore Jisung was asked regularly to be Felix’s dance partner._

_“C’mon, Sungie, you can play one of your songs, I won’t say anything.”_

_Felix was now pouting and Jisung could fell his fighting spirit weaken._

_With utmost care, Jisung put his hands on Felix’s waist. The latter rolled his eyes at his antics and wrapped his arms around Jisung’s shoulder and approached his face so close their nose was almost touching._

_By the half hooded eyes Felix was giving him and his scented alcohol-strawberry breath, Jisung can tell Felix was slightly too drunk for him to be completely aware of all his actions. Feeling his ears got hotter than usual as Felix tilted cutely his head at Jisung’s surprised hiccups, he blindly searched behind him to press a button and escape his turmoil._

_Soft voice filling the tense atmosphere, Jisung felt himself relax as Felix put his head on his shoulder._

_“I think you’re right, I’m drunk,” whisper Felix, playing with the back of Jisung’s hair._

_“Yes, I think you are,” said Jisung softly, spinning Felix around gently._

_It was stupid, really. Losing the count of how many times he stepped on the other’s feet, they knocked down so far a stool and an hourglass statue Jisung’s mom loved. But their uncontrollable giggles didn’t die down, either alcohol’s fault or just the euphoria of being only the two of them together._

_And Felix._

_Felix is the prettiest person Jisung ever seen over the thousands of people he met. Felix with his cat eyes, button nose, and soft lips. Felix who has a million shining stars on his cheeks and brightened everything around him._

_Their twentieth birthdays are sooner than it had ever been and Jisung had been feeling the weight of long-awaited promise hinder his every interaction with Felix. It’s the awareness of growing up, slow but suffocating. Knowing that something will end, and it needs to. Jisung wasn’t sure he wanted it._

_He likes being nineteen and in love. Whether or not he was love to did not matter as much as the thought of Felix staying by his side._

_But was he deserving of it? That deep, uncaring and selfish fulfillment?_

_“Sometimes I feel like I’m never going to be enough for you,” said Jisung, like a secret. They didn’t have secrets. They didn’t need to. But it felt like one, one that should never get past this room and this moment. Jisung suddenly realizes how bad it must have sound, both because Felix had fall silent and the music had stopped, breaking the comfortable atmosphere. He stuttered, “you never make me feel like it, it’s just…”_

_“You’re more than enough,” said Felix, snuggling his nose onto Jisung’s cheeks, tickling him. “Han Jisung, you had been, is and will be my more than enough. In this moment or the next centuries, I have no doubt and you shouldn’t have too.”_

_And, somehow, Jisung believes him._

_Their red sun is surely but slowly making his way toward his cradle, in the giant treetops of the forest. Already gone for the past 2 hours, the other gold-glowing star had left the kitchen in the grip of its partner. Soft red and shadows enveloping the entangled silhouettes, moving lazily to the sound of a melody only them are able to hear._

_No matter what happens, all that would remain would be the good memories._

⧗

The whistling and metallic sound of swords clashing against each other ringed in Jisung’s ears. His arms were burning and the sweat was dripping off his face and making his hands clammy. Tightening the grip on his sword, his already-abused phalanx turned white under the pressure.

Around him, the battle was still going strong and Jisung had no idea of which side was actually winning. He looked around and caught the sight of Minho, dancing with his two thin swords on the other side of the room.

The sword of his opponent clattered on the floor and Jisung waste no time to kick him on the chest and ran toward Minho.

He needed to get out, and quick.

As he got to Minho, he felt something coming toward him and he swung his sword to block the hit. With the blow, he stumbled back and his back hit Minho’s. They were both tired, and even with their shirt, Jisung could feel the dampness of Minho’s skin against his back.

It hadn’t been long since they entered the base but he was afraid it was still too late.

“I need to go to Felix, I’m afraid he-” His sentence was cut by the vision of a blade going at full speed toward him. He closed his eyes and a sharp sound hurt his ears.

“Go ahead,” said Minho, breathless, blocking the blow that was coming for Jisung’s head. 

Not without giving him a thankful smile and tap on the back, Jisung bolted off to the stairs, zigzagging smoothly between the ongoing fights.

Stairs were high and ominously empty.

The first person he encountered had his neck sliced, and Jisung did not linger to watch it more. War was not something he willingly invested himself into, he understood the thirst for justice of his friends but could never push himself to do more than injure other beings. He addressed a quick prayer to the Keeper for them. Their time has come and there was nothing to do about it.

Another three inert bodies were waiting at the doorway of the main room, which happens to also be Jisung’s destination. 

The huge door being weirdly reminiscent of Felix’s one back home, Jisung pushed it and entered. The room was wide and empty, high ceilings resembling those of a cathedral Jisung had visited a long time ago, with pillars framing stairs leading a throne, so wide you could fit an army or a wedding here. Overwhelming, the white stone covered everything and made the red stain even more visible.

A bloody sword lied on the bottom of the throne, liquid pooling underneath the blade and dripping down the white stairs leading to the royal seat. A familiar scarf of the same color was tied in the pommel and Jisung felt his heart skip a beat.

Leaned on his hand, the person sitting on the throne looked asleep. Jisung’s sword hit the ground as they snapped their eyes open, piercing amber brighter than all the stone surrounding them.

Jisung’s knee hit the white marble and had his head was bowed before the nonchalant figure could even say a word.

Felix huffed, and Jisung could feel the weight of his gaze on the back of his head. “You took your sweet time.”

“I did not, you’re just too demanding.”

“You’re probably right,” said Felix, laughing. The ground trembled under the feet of the brotherhood entering the room. Jisung felt a hand on his shoulder and shivered. “Come have a walk with me.”

“So… You’re not going to jump off the bridge?”

Felix shook his head, making the beads in his headpiece clunk against each other. It covered his forehead, like a waterfall, making a dainty triangle and leaving a shiny white pearl to sit above his glabella.

Felix obviously had fun with his outfit. His face painted with white, a thin layer of makeup, making him look like a marble statue while letting his freckles appear if you were staring long enough at his face — something Jisung didn’t hold himself to do. The only touch of color was on his cheeks, two dots of wine red, almost getting mixed with his freckles. His upper lip covered in the same sultry color, while his lower lip had only a line drawn in the middle of it.

Under his flowing cape covered in layers of pale pink and yellow veils dripping on the ground, Jisung caught a glimpse of a simple ivory silk dress.

Victory was beautiful on Felix.

But again, Jisung was one biased man and never claimed not to be. Though, from the look of the rest of the group who arrived after them and were welcomed by Felix and his charming smile, Jisung was not the only one with a stolen heart and a lot of pining going on from now on.

“I feel too tired to leap right now, to be honest,” said Felix, and laughed at Jisung’s pout. “Don’t make this face, of course, I want to talk with you for a bit, big baby. It’s been quite a while, isn’t it?”

Whose fault? wanted to ask Jisung.

However, what was done was done and it was no use to be bitter anymore. It did not mean Jisung was not pissed about some things thought.

“So, you think it’s fun to overthrow tyranny in your pass time?”

“Yes, rather,” giggled Felix, waving at a young soldier who was gaping at him. Jisung resisted the temptation of rolling his eyes. Everyone had gone through so much, he was not going to bitch around for a puppy crush. They reached a bridge with no barrier separating them from the void. Felix stopped in the middle and took a moment to look at the sky. No moon in the sky, only the new freed stars and planets. Jisung missed Changbin a bit more than he thought. “And I didn’t do it all by myself, I simply… gave a hand, plus, it is hardly a pass time, I’ve spent almost a year here.”

“3 months on lunar years actually.”

“Really? I am quite lost without my...” Felix had the decency to look a bit bashful, waving his hand in the air without saying what they both were thinking about. 

A Voyager without their watch is a lost one.

“About that…” It felt weird to give the watch back but also as something fell back into pieces. 

“Ooh, you took great care of it, thanks Sungie,” said Felix, taking it by its chain and lifting it to an eye-level. It spun slowly, reflecting the light around and maybe Jisung was delusional or just exhausted but the gold looked shinier than seconds ago.

Throwing it and catching it mid-air, Felix beamed at Jisung. He was about to say something but his gaze got lost behind Jisung and he gasped suddenly. Alert, Jisung immediately took his sword out but was stopped by Felix who shushed him frantically.

“Look behind you,” Felix whispered, clearly holding back his laugh.

A bit afraid, Jisung put his sword away and turned around only to almost yell. “Oh Great Keeper.”

Watching Minho make out was not something he wanted to see today. Or any day of his life. Especially not with the leader of some rebellion that looked a tad too enthusiast and had his hands a bit too wandering.

They both turned their back to the scene and looked at each other for a few seconds before giggling like children behind their hands.

“How much are you going to tease him about that?” asked Felix, taking Jisung by the arm to move away from the slightly traumatizing sight of their best friends sucking face with his partner.

“A lot. But also I will kill the guy if needed.”

Felix hummed. “Sound like a plan.”

They only crossed the bridge to go on another one and Felix passed the watch on his neck, making it rest onto his chest. In the middle of all the veil and in the cream silk, the watch was not the only thing glinting.

“Oh its—”

Felix looked at him in surprise, and when he understood what he meant, he grabbed the key on his chest. “I took great care of it too if you were wondering.”

“Oh I have no worries, do not worry Yongbok.”

“Don’t call me that, it’s embarrassing coming from you,” whined Felix. Jisung stayed quiet for a couple of bridges to cross when eventually Felix grabbed his hand to make him look at him in the eyes. “Are you ok?”

“I’m kind of freaked out, to be honest… Like I can’t believe we’re going home?”

“You go first.”

“What?”

“Let’s find each other on the hills! I’ll see you there.”

And just like that, Jisung was punched into the void. the last thing he saw being the soft smile of Felix, the beads on his headpiece shining with an ominous light.

Jisung closed his eyes as the familiar darkness hugged him, amber constellations printed in the back of his eyelids.

_Now._

☉⧗☉

“He’s here,” was the first thing Felix’s mom said to Jisung when he presented himself in front of her door. A strange reenactment of a scene he prepared months ago.

Coming home was a strange feeling. If someone had to tell Jisung their chase had been going on for centuries, he wouldn’t question them in the slightest.

It has been 2 weeks already, and today was Jisung's birthday. During those two weeks, Jisung did a lot of things. Go to see if Felix is back, being disappointed, writing letters for his new friends, getting force-fed by his mama and somehow end up on the hills. His newfound well-oiled routine didn't bother him as much as it would have, one lunar circle ago. 

Waiting wasn't that hard when the end result was sure. 

The path leading to the hills felt longer than ever. The familiar landscape of his village, shaped like an hourglass, in the middle of cliffs and forests took all his magnificence once one’s stood in the tallest rock of the hills.

Felix’s back clashed with the green background he was facing, the cream linen of his tunic standing up. The sleeves of his shirt were cut open, and Jisung could see the stars on his shoulders from where he was. It was his Wheel of Fortune day’s apparel, reminiscence of countless laughter and blooming love.

Now, Jisung felt underdressed.

Gathering all his courage, he sat beside Felix who made no move to acknowledge his presence. The only thing missing was the cold and he was back to a few months ago, desperate and candidly hopeful.

“I get too many bad deja vu with you, these days,” Jisung said, not supporting the silence any longer.

“You sound upset.”

“You pushed me!”

Felix rolled his eyes, making Jisung gasp. “Yes. You would never have to go if I’ve asked you gently! And you enjoyed it, don’t lie.”

“Perhaps, but you could have, I don’t know, ask like a normal person.”

“We established that we weren’t normal people years ago, bub.”

“So,” A breeze passed by, swelling Felix’s cerulean skirt to reveal his bare feet. “Why did you leave?”

Despite one of the suns blinding him, Jisung saw Felix’s eyes twitch at the question. “I guess I own you an answer, yeah?” Jisung bit the inside of his cheeks but nodded nonetheless. “I was excited about this, you know. I was waiting for that day the moment you put this key in my hand, which had been a while.” Felix laughed while tearing from the ground a handful of grass. “Then, it hit me, such a long time together: what told me you won’t be bored? Or you just stay because you don’t know anything else?”

“I could never be bored of you,” burst out Jisung.

“It was indeed what I thought you say but nothing was telling me that it wasn’t a possibility, regardless of your current certitude. So I thought I would make you live a little. Do things you never did before, meet new and old people, make new relations, save a country, you know that kind of stuff… To make sure you won't regret it. Or something."

“And what about just talking to me about those things?”

“Umph. Irrelevant, dear. I don’t talk about my feelings with you, you always end up convincing me. And I felt like it was kind of necessary this time.”

In a way, Jisung got what Felix meant. He could not help but be a bit resentful at all the time they had to spent away from each other, but ultimately, it would pass.

“I need you to meet my new friends! Don’t whine, the sentence is final.”

“Also I wanted to say… sorry about… you know last time…” Confused, Jisung stared at Felix. A cloud of pink dust spread on Felix’s cheeks as Jisung tried to remember what could possibly put him in this state. “Please don’t make me say it, I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Oh.

“Oh,” feeling his face getting hot as well, Jisung looked down at his hands. He had tried not to think too much about their kiss, and now that it was brought up the words wouldn’t come out. “Totally random but about the key… What do you think of the blue house on the hill?”

Realization seemed to dawn on Felix as he was looking at Jisung slowly turning into a human version of an ember in a furnace. Red, sweaty and about to combust at any time.

“What do you mean?” asked Felix carefully, nervously smoothing his skirt.

“I cleared the backyard while waiting for you and it’s still but I think it’s still habitable, it only needs a good spring cleaning if you ask me—”

“Kiss me.”

“What?”

“Please kiss me.”

Jisung blinked owlishly at Felix, already looking at him, determined. As softly as he could, Jisung put his hand on Felix’s cheek and watched him, in awe, leaning into the touch. The pure trust in his eyes was the final push he needed for their lips to meet.

Their first kiss on the roof was messy. Desperation had clouded Jisung’s judgment, holding him back from truly appreciating the moment. But here, in the middle of their place, without any deadline or gust of wind, Jisung felt everything that was offered to him. The soft moan, the minty breathe, the ruffle of fabric under his hand - every one of his senses was heightened to an intoxicating level.

Poison could be poured into his mouth, Jisung wouldn’t even notice or care. Grabbing the side of his head, Felix tried to get closer but his skirt got in the way and he fell onto Jisung. They broke up for a moment to look at each other, panting, before giggling and going back at it.

Too euphoric, and in a tentative to pull him as he could without breaking their lips apart, Jisung put his hand under Felix’s skirt. Ignoring the gasp against his lips, he pulled the skirt up and squeezed his thigh. Jisung realized quickly he should have talked to him about it, because Felix squirmed and pulled back, surprised, making them fall backward on the grass.

Breaking apart, Felix looked dizzy, swollen lips and glazed eyes, some blade of grass and flowers intermingling with his hair ruffled. Jisung didn’t look better by all mean, and he let Felix fix the hair that was falling on his face.

“Are we even allowed to make out when you’re dressed like that?” Asked Jisung, brushing the curve of Felix’s bare shoulder with his hands and ending up at his waist, just over the loose scarf. 

“I think the Keeper has greater things to do than caring about than you sucking my face.”

“They don’t know what they’re missing then.”

Felix rolled his eyes and pulled Jisung by his neck to bring him back to a kiss, ignoring his laugh.

They could have been kissing for an hour for all that Jisung knew, their watches lying a few feet away from them.

“I missed you so much,” whispered Felix, and Jisung suspected his eyes glazed not only because of their kisses. In a last effort to prevent any tears, Jisung made his mission to kiss all his freckles on his face. Felix whined and tried to get his attention by pulling on his shirt, successfully making him leave more pecks on his nose. “Sung, ’m sorry I made you sad, and you never properly gave me your gift and—”

“You’re not 21 yet, so technically I’m still offering you this at your twenty. Lee Felix, Yongbok, Yojeong, Pixie or whatever name you wish to have, will you accept to stay with me, just for this moment or the next centuries?”

His answer was whispered against his lips.

“I do.”

And, somehow, Jisung believes him.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading <33 i really appreciate kudos and comments as always!! english (obliviously) isn't my first language so if any sequence of tenses/words doesn't make sense pls tell me.
> 
> also i know that the joseon era bit is. widely inaccurate and im v sorry about that i tried my best.
> 
> pls tell me if you'd like to see something tagged that i didn't :)


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